India Votes in Second Phase of National Elections

India began voting on Friday in the second phase of multi-phase national elections to elect new parliament for the next five years. Almost one billion people are eligible to vote in the seven-phase general elections that began on April 19 and concludes on June 1, with votes set to be counted on June 4. A total of 88 seats out of the 543 seats in the lower house of parliament went to the polls on Friday, with 160 million people eligible to vote. They were spread across 13 states and federal territories in the world's most populous country. More than half of the seats in Friday's contests were in the southern states of Kerala and Karnataka and the northwestern state of Rajasthan. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, 73, is seeking a third straight term after his victory in the 2014 and 2019 elections. The outcome of Fridays voting will be crucial for Modis Bharatiya Janata Party, as the 88 constituencies up for grabs across 13 states include some of its strongholds in states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. Source: Qatar News Agency