What Will India’s Election Mean for the World’s Largest Democracy?

India, the world’s most populous country and largest democracy, is holding elections from April 19 – June 1. The occasion has drawn particular attention to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

For Context: India’s nearly one billion voters began voting on Friday. Modi, who is expected to win reelection, has increasingly been tied to Hindu nationalism, or “Hindutva” — the idea that India should favor Hinduism, rather than being secular. Modi has also touted India's recent progress in tech and manufacturing. Some in the U.S. see India as a regional alternative to China amid rising tensions. 

Key Quote: Some accused Modi of anti-Muslim hate speech over a Sunday campaign speech in which he said, as translated by The New York Times (Lean Left bias), that his opposition party predecessor had “said that Muslims have the first right to the wealth of the nation. This means they will distribute this wealth to those who have more children, to infiltrators.” Modi said the main opposition Congress party planned to redistribute wealth from Hindus to Muslims, the country’s largest minority. 

How the Media Covered It: Original coverage was rare in U.S. right-rated outlets, which instead sometimes used wire service articles from AP (Lean Left bias). Left-rated outlets were more likely to feature criticism of Modi for his comments about India’s Muslims.