Modi’s Fragile Popularity Tested by Communist Party In India's Bengal
(Bloomberg) -- Each day, Bloomberg journalists take you across a selection of towns and cities as they gear up for the big vote.
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Hello, this is Saket Sundria, a breaking news editor with Bloomberg in New Delhi. I hail from Jhargram, a small town in the southern parts of West Bengal state, surrounded by ancient sal forests. Following a prolonged phase of left-wing militancy, the predominantly tribal region gained national infamy after a rare train hijack in 2009, and another deadly incident of sabotage the following year. A Communist party stronghold for almost four decades, the constituency had switched allegiance to Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s Trinamool Congress in 2009. But, in 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party pulled a surprise narrow win from the town, where Subhas Chandra Bose — a revered leader of India’s independence movement — had famously lambasted the BJP’s ideological parent Hindu Mahasabha for using religion to get votes. Lack of development, industry and jobs remain key issues while a resurgent Communist party may stymie BJP’s chances in Jhargram.
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With less than two weeks to go before results of India’s marathon election are announced, Modi’s aim to come back to power with an even bigger majority is looking less certain.
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Campaign Trail
India’s Supreme Court expressed reluctance to interfere in the middle of the election process and deferred hearing a petition seeking publication of booth-wise voter turnout data.
Voting in the sixth phase of elections will be held for 58 constituencies on Saturday.
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Financial Times reported about how the release of Arvind Kejriwal, Delhi chief minister and head of the Aam Aadmi party, has shaken up the final stretch of India’s election campaign.
The Associated Press reported that Indian farmers are weary of political apathy to their climate-driven water crisis, and are looking for longer-term solutions such as canal networks.
Who Votes This Week?
India’s mammoth election runs through June 1, with counting scheduled for June 4. This map from the Election Commission of India shows which constituencies vote when.
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Indians are voting in the world’s biggest election. Understand how money and business intersect with politics and power by following Bloomberg India’s channel on WhatsApp, and sign up for the weekly India Edition newsletter by Menaka Doshi.
This story was produced with the assistance of Bloomberg Automation.
--With assistance from Eshani Mathur.
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