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(Bloomberg) — India will hold elections in four states and one union territory in April, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party looking to extend its grip even as it battles an energy crisis and quickening inflation.
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The South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, one of India’s biggest investment hubs, will go to the polls for its 234-member legislative assembly on April 23, the Election Commission of India announced Sunday. Voting for West Bengal, where Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party has been trying to make gains for years, will take place in two phases on April 23 and April 29.
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The elections come at a time when Modi and his government are struggling to contain an energy crisis, brought on by the US and Israeli attacks on Iran and the effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Modi has campaigned for the past decade on low prices of liquefied petroleum gas, which were raised by 7% this month for a 14.2-kilogram cylinder.
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A win in West Bengal — which has been dominated by regional political parties for years — would extend the BJP’s grip over northern India, and potentially oust one of the few regional parties posing a serious challenge to Modi. The electoral fight in Tamil Nadu remains between regional parties, with both the BJP and the main national opposition Indian National Congress competing as minority partners.
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On April 9, the state of Kerala, which has India’s highest literacy rate, and the BJP stronghold of Assam will vote, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar said in a briefing in New Delhi. The union territory of Puducherry with just 30 legislative seats also goes to the poll that day, he said.
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In Assam and West Bengal, the BJP is largely campaigning on illegal immigration from Bangladesh. Last year, the Election Commission announced a special revision of voter rolls in most of the states heading to the polls, with the stated goal of keeping illegal citizens from casting a ballot.
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Opposition parties across the country have claimed that the BJP-led government is using the Election Commission to disenfranchise voters, mostly Muslims, who traditionally have not voted for Modi. Both the BJP and the commission have repeatedly denied the accusations.
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The results of all five elections will be announced on May 4, said Kumar.
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