Hindu nationalist Modi eyes third term as India votes in six-week election

India began voting Friday in a six-week election with an all but assured victory for Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as a weakened opposition is pushed to the sidelines.

A total of 968 million people are eligible to take part in the world's biggest vote – a staggering logistical exercise that critics say follows a concerted effort to delegitimise rivals.

Voters began queuing up at polling stations hours before they were allowed in at 7 am in the first 21 states to hold votes, from the Himalayan mountains to the tropical Andaman Islands.

A long and winding queue was patiently assembled outside a polling station in the Hindu holy city of Haridwar, on the banks of the Ganges river, even before the booths opened.

"I am here because I am happy about the direction the country is headed," said autorickshaw driver Ganga Singh, 27.

"I will vote keeping in mind not personal welfare but the country's prosperity."

Read moreIndia’s mammoth elections: Nearly a billion voters, 44 polling days

Modi, 73, remains resoundingly popular after a decade in office that has seen India rise in diplomatic clout and economic power, as well as efforts by his government to bring the country's majority faith in ever closer alignment with its politics.

"Every vote counts and every voice matters!"

A referendum on Modi

Read more on FRANCE 24 English

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