Elections shape India's development

Despite positive achievements in socio-economic development and strengthening its position in the international arena, India still faces many challenges. The upcoming general election in India is considered to have a role in guiding the development of the world's most populous country, at least for the next 5 years.

The general election in India is considered the largest election in the world, with nearly 970 million voters registered to vote, accounting for more than 10% of the global population.

Analysts say the election has become the focus of international attention not only because of its large scale, but also because this South Asian country has an increasingly important voice in international forums and is the world's fastest growing economy.

Supporters of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi attend an election campaign rally in Meerut, India, March 31, 2024.

The election results have profound implications for both the future of the nation of more than 1.4 billion people and the geopolitical landscape in the Indo-Pacific region.

In the election lasting more than 40 days, starting from April 19, Indian voters will vote for 543/545 members of parliament to the lower house of parliament for the next 5-year term. The party that wins the majority of seats in the lower house will form the new government.

Despite facing competition from a 26-party opposition alliance led by the Indian National Congress (INC), recent opinion polls show that Prime Minister Modi's BJP is dominating the race to the House of Representatives.

Analysts say that the achievements India has made in the past 10 years are the BJP’s “trump card” in the upcoming race. In the context of the global economy facing many difficulties, India has achieved a spectacular economic growth of about 7.6% in 2023.

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) believes that India will be a bright spot in the Asian economy with a steady growth rate of about 6.5% in 2024 and 2025. IMF data shows that India has risen to become the world's fifth largest economy. In addition, in the past 10 years, about 250 million Indians have escaped poverty and per capita income has nearly doubled.

Not only scoring points with impressive socio-economic development results, Prime Minister Modi's Government has also achieved many foreign affairs achievements in recent years. The relationship with important countries such as the US, the European Union (EU), ASEAN, as well as India's voice at international forums have been constantly strengthened. 2023 is an exciting year for Indian diplomacy.

The successful assumption of the role of Chair of the Group of 20 (G20) with many important milestones, such as campaigning for the G20 to admit the African Union (AU) as a member, strengthening the voice of countries in the southern hemisphere, reforming multilateral development banks, etc., shows New Delhi's growing influence in efforts to solve global issues.

However, to win the votes of voters, the parties participating in the upcoming general election, including the BJP, need to find solutions to the burning issues that are attracting the attention of a large number of Indian voters: solving unemployment and income inequality, reducing inflation and poverty, developing infrastructure, and expanding social welfare programs.

According to a report by the International Labour Organization (ILO), India’s youth unemployment rate is much higher than the global average. The ILO believes that the Indian economy has not created enough jobs in the non-agricultural sector to keep up with the abundant supply of young, educated workers. The unemployment rate for graduates remains high at around 29%.

In its recently released election manifesto, the BJP has pledged to create more jobs, modernize infrastructure, expand social welfare programs, and develop India into a hub for pharmaceuticals, energy, semiconductors, and tourism. It has also pledged to put India on track to become a developed nation by 2047, when the country celebrates its 100th anniversary of independence.

Despite many achievements in socio-economic development and strengthening its position in the international arena, India still faces many challenges in the context of an unpredictable and volatile world situation. The upcoming general election plays an important role in deciding India's future development.

Source: https://baolaocai.vn/cuoc-bau-cu-dinh-huong-phat-trien-an-do-post382888.html