Punti chiave
- Although the BJP is contesting elections citing the growth of the Indian economy, there is frustration among ordinary Indians over unemployment and inflation.
- Incumbent Indian PM accused of hate speech, concerns over election commission independence.
- Failure to declare a candidate for the post of Prime Minister on the part of the opposition may cause harm to them.
With over 1 billion eligible voters, India is not only the most populous country but also one of the fastest-growing economies and the largest democracy in the world.
So it's no surprise that just as India is about to announce its election results on June 4, the entire world's attention is on India at the moment.
To deeply understand and cover the 2024 Indian elections, SBS journalist Aaron Fernandez is currently on a tour of India.
The Indian elections in 2024 coincide with the rise of China and at a time when Western countries are looking to diversify the places they import goods from. They really wanted to engage with India more to counterbalance the economic and military weight of China.Aaron Fernandes, Asia Correspondent at SBS
In an exclusive conversation with Aaron, SBS Punjabi explored the role of religion in the ongoing elections in India, the transparency of the voting process and freedom of the press.
During the conversation, Aaron highlighted that even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP is contesting elections based on the economic upsurge in India, however, there is frustration among common Indians regarding unemployment and inflation.
Aaron also informed that there have been allegations of hate speech against Mr Modi as well as widespread concerns over the independence of India's election commission. He told SBS Punjabi, "It has not been a good election for harmony of communities in India."
It will be known who will win the election on June 4. But whoever comes to power in India, India and Australia will try to continue the strategic partnership.
Both India and Australia are partners in QUAD dialogues and Australia also has a large migration of people from the Indian community.
Click on the audio icon to listen to the full report and interview in Punjabi.
