The fourth round of the parliamentary elections in India began early today (Tuesday, May 13) at 7 AM local time.
This round of the parliamentary elections in India was held in 10 states to select 96 representatives for the country's House of Representatives.
"I have voted because it will lead to our development. The issues of electricity, gas, employment, unemployment can only be resolved through voting. Voting is our right and we shouldn't waste it. I want to appeal to my fellow citizens to please come out and vote. Voting is our power," said Mohammad Ayub Dar, a voter.
"We don't get anything from the government. I am still doing a job but we don't get anything. We don't get rations like grain, rice or anything," said Vinod Kumar Bansi, another voter.
"Education needs improvement. The labourers are not getting their wages. They wander around here and there (for daily labour wage) in Bihar," said Vijay, a voter.
"Every citizen should vote because it is their right and if one wants India to develop further, they should obviously go to vote,” said Ivana Nandi, a voter.
In these elections, Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister of India and leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party, and Rahul Gandhi, the leader of the Indian National Congress, who is considered Modi's main rival, and a coalition consisting of dozens of parties, are competing against each other.
At the same time, Modi's opponents said that these elections are not free and fair due to the arrest of members of opposition parties.
Farooq Abdullah, opposition national conference party president, said: “If they (Bharatiya Janata Party) say there is no commotion, violence and no boycott in the state, then I want to ask why our party workers have been detained for the past two days. If on the one hand, they say the election is free and fair, then I want to ask the home minister and prime minister why our party workers have been detained?"
The parliamentary elections in India, with nearly one billion eligible voters, are called the world's largest elections.
The Election Commission of India announced that the results of these elections will be on the 4th of June of this year.