Along a bustling road set amid a series of new McMansions in Kashmir's main city, a half-dozen extended families are camped in an open field in shelters of burlap and plastic. To an outsider, they look like refugees.
But they're not.
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Along a bustling road set amid a series of new McMansions in Kashmir's main city, a half-dozen extended families are camped in an open field in shelters of burlap and plastic. To an outsider, they look like refugees.
In this May 11, 2018, photo, Mushtaq Khan, a Kashmiri nomadic Bakarwal groom poses for picture inside a tent at a camps in outskirts of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
They are nomads whose families have traveled for centuries between summer pastures in the Himalayas and winter grazing grounds in the lowland plains, herding their goats, sheep and horses.
In this May 11, 2018, photo, Kashmiri Bakarwal nomads listen to a sermon delivered by a cleric during a marriage ceremony at a camp in the outskirts of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
"It's a life of hardship," said a 40-year-old man named Gami as he lit a cooking fire for the camp's wedding feast. "The skies above are hostile to us and so is the earth below. War, weather and wolf: All are hostile to us," said Gami, who uses only one name.
In this May 9, 2018, photo, a Kashmiri nomadic Bakarwal woman decorates a blanket made from goat hair outside her tent in Newa, 29 kilometers (18 miles) south of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
"This is how it goes," Bano said. "We keep moving, from one place to the other."
In this May 9, 2018, photo, a Kashmiri nomadic Bakarwal family camps in outskirts of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
That hostility turned to horror with the January gang-rape and killing of an 8-year-old Bakarwal girl, making the nomads wonder what sort of place they have in today's India.
In this May 9, 2018, photo, a Kashmiri nomadic Bakarwal man carries a lamb as he tosses a baby goat to help them cross a waterfall near Dubgan, 70 kilometers (43 miles) south of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
Like many of India's religious minorities, particularly its Muslims, the Bakarwals have felt increasingly isolated as attacks by Hindu extremist groups have risen after the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, was swept into power in India in 2014. The religious divide widened even further in Jammu-Kashmir state when the BJP formed a coalition government with a regional party. The Himalayan region of Kashmir is claimed in its entirety by both India and Pakistan but divided between them.
In this May 9, 2018, photo, Nasreen Bano, a Kashmiri nomadic Bakarwal woman poses for pictures along with her new born baby girl inside her tent at a temporary camp in Dubgan, 70 kilometers (43 miles) south of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
Much of that trouble has occurred around Jammu, the majority-Hindu city where the Bakarwals have their winter pastures. Hindu nationalists accuse the nomads of encroaching on their land when they build permanent homes, and say nomad leaders want to make the region majority-Muslim.
In this May 10, 2018, photo, Mohammad Aslam Khan, a Kashmiri nomadic Bakarwal cuts goat meat for a wedding feast at a camp in outskirts of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
Residents and forest officials have begun fencing in areas that have long been open, stopping the Bakarwal from reaching their traditional routes, pastures and water supplies. The tensions have led to scuffles, harassment of nomadic girls and, allegedly, the burning of nomad huts by Hindu men. In 2016, a young man was killed in a police shooting when Gujjars, another nomadic Muslim community, resisted police orders to leave their settlements near Jammu.
In this May 9, 2018, photo, a Kashmiri nomadic Bakarwal woman carries water after collecting it from a waterfall in Dubgan, 70 kilometers (43 miles) south of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
In January, the 8-year-old Bakarwal girl was grazing her family's ponies near the town of Kathua, a couple of hours from Jammu, when she was kidnapped. Her raped and mutilated body was found in the woods a week later. Eight people, including four police officials, have been arrested in the crime and destruction of evidence.
In this May 9, 2018, photo, Ghulam Nabi, a Kashmiri nomadic Bakarwal walks on a slippery snow covered mountain track as he tends to his 4 remaining sheep out of a heard of 50 sheep and goats which slipped to death on the same track at Peer Ki Gali, 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
A police probe revealed the attack had been planned for over a month as a way to terrify the Bakarwal into leaving the area. Then, thousands of members of a radical Hindu group with links to the ruling party marched to demand the release of the men accused in the attack, which happened inside a private Hindu temple. Hundreds of Hindu lawyers also protested that the men were innocent.
"We keep on telling ourselves that this too will pass. And yes, it will," said Mohammed Latief, a young man who often works as a community cook. "But the prime concern is that our lives are fast changing. We're losing our Bakarwal culture to the modern world."
In this May 15, 2018 photo, Kashmiri nomadic Bakarwals lead the heard of sheep and goats at the base of a mountain pass on their way to Sonmarg, outskirts of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
In this May 11, 2018, photo, Mushtaq Khan, a Kashmiri nomadic Bakarwal groom poses for picture inside a tent at a camps in outskirts of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
They are nomads whose families have traveled for centuries between summer pastures in the Himalayas and winter grazing grounds in the lowland plains, herding their goats, sheep and horses.
The Muslim Bakarwal, who usually stop only briefly in Srinagar, have settled in for a few extra days this year for a community marriage. This group, of about 50 people, is traveling without their livestock, which others had already taken to the high pastures.
In this May 11, 2018, photo, relatives of Naseem Akhtar, a Kashmiri Bakrwal bride pray as she leaves her parents tent during a wedding ceremony in the outskirts of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
In this May 11, 2018, photo, Kashmiri Bakarwal nomads listen to a sermon delivered by a cleric during a marriage ceremony at a camp in the outskirts of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
"It's a life of hardship," said a 40-year-old man named Gami as he lit a cooking fire for the camp's wedding feast. "The skies above are hostile to us and so is the earth below. War, weather and wolf: All are hostile to us," said Gami, who uses only one name.
South of Srinagar, in another Bakarwal camp, Nasreen Bano was caring for her baby, born last week during a forest stopover. Two days later, she began the trek to join her husband, who was already in the highlands.
In this May 11, 2018, photo, photo, elderly Kashmiri nomadic Bakarwal men share a lighter moment as the smoke a hubble bubble or Hukka near a camp, outskirts of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
In this May 9, 2018, photo, a Kashmiri nomadic Bakarwal woman decorates a blanket made from goat hair outside her tent in Newa, 29 kilometers (18 miles) south of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
"This is how it goes," Bano said. "We keep moving, from one place to the other."
But life for the Bakarwal is changing. Cities are closing in on their grazing lands and traditional paths. Some of the 200,000 or so Bakarwal have begun building permanent homes, sometimes sparking hostility with people living in those areas, many of them Hindu.
In this May 9, 2018, photo, Dawood Khatana, a Kashmiri nomadic Bakarwal poses for a photograph at a camp in Newa, 29 kilometers (18 miles) south of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
In this May 9, 2018, photo, a Kashmiri nomadic Bakarwal family camps in outskirts of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
That hostility turned to horror with the January gang-rape and killing of an 8-year-old Bakarwal girl, making the nomads wonder what sort of place they have in today's India.
"It's not the same for us anymore. Not only have our lives been made difficult because we've been restricted from moving freely, but now we're also under physical attack," said one Bakarwal, Mohammed Aslam, cutting mutton for the feast.
In this May 9, 2018, photo, a carcass of a lamb left behind by Kashmiri Bakarwals lies on a the road in Dubgan, 70 kilometers (43 miles) south of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
In this May 9, 2018, photo, a Kashmiri nomadic Bakarwal man carries a lamb as he tosses a baby goat to help them cross a waterfall near Dubgan, 70 kilometers (43 miles) south of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
Like many of India's religious minorities, particularly its Muslims, the Bakarwals have felt increasingly isolated as attacks by Hindu extremist groups have risen after the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, was swept into power in India in 2014. The religious divide widened even further in Jammu-Kashmir state when the BJP formed a coalition government with a regional party. The Himalayan region of Kashmir is claimed in its entirety by both India and Pakistan but divided between them.
For the Bakarwal and other Muslim nomads, the trouble has often been about land.
In this May 9, 2018, photo, Rashem Jan, a Kashmiri nomadic Bakarwal woman cuts a tree trunk for cooking food outside her tent at a temporary camp in Dubgan, 70 kilometers (43 miles) south of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
In this May 9, 2018, photo, Nasreen Bano, a Kashmiri nomadic Bakarwal woman poses for pictures along with her new born baby girl inside her tent at a temporary camp in Dubgan, 70 kilometers (43 miles) south of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
Much of that trouble has occurred around Jammu, the majority-Hindu city where the Bakarwals have their winter pastures. Hindu nationalists accuse the nomads of encroaching on their land when they build permanent homes, and say nomad leaders want to make the region majority-Muslim.
In this May 11, 2018, photo, Kashmiri nomadic Bakarwal men hold ropes tied to a horses as they castrate it using a traditional method that involves using hot iron rods at a camp on the outskirts of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
In this May 10, 2018, photo, Mohammad Aslam Khan, a Kashmiri nomadic Bakarwal cuts goat meat for a wedding feast at a camp in outskirts of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
Residents and forest officials have begun fencing in areas that have long been open, stopping the Bakarwal from reaching their traditional routes, pastures and water supplies. The tensions have led to scuffles, harassment of nomadic girls and, allegedly, the burning of nomad huts by Hindu men. In 2016, a young man was killed in a police shooting when Gujjars, another nomadic Muslim community, resisted police orders to leave their settlements near Jammu.
In this May 9, 2018, photo, Gul Khan, a Kashmiri nomadic Bakarwal man carries a tired goat on his shoulder as he leads a heard of sheep and goats at Peer Ki Gali, India, 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
In this May 9, 2018, photo, a Kashmiri nomadic Bakarwal woman carries water after collecting it from a waterfall in Dubgan, 70 kilometers (43 miles) south of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
In January, the 8-year-old Bakarwal girl was grazing her family's ponies near the town of Kathua, a couple of hours from Jammu, when she was kidnapped. Her raped and mutilated body was found in the woods a week later. Eight people, including four police officials, have been arrested in the crime and destruction of evidence.
In this May 9, 2018, photo, Kashmiri nomadic Bakarwal men keep an eye on the heard of sheep and goats as they take shelter under a tree as it drizzles near Dubgan, 70 kilometers (43 miles) south of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
In this May 9, 2018, photo, Ghulam Nabi, a Kashmiri nomadic Bakarwal walks on a slippery snow covered mountain track as he tends to his 4 remaining sheep out of a heard of 50 sheep and goats which slipped to death on the same track at Peer Ki Gali, 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
A police probe revealed the attack had been planned for over a month as a way to terrify the Bakarwal into leaving the area. Then, thousands of members of a radical Hindu group with links to the ruling party marched to demand the release of the men accused in the attack, which happened inside a private Hindu temple. Hundreds of Hindu lawyers also protested that the men were innocent.
In this May 9, 2018, photo, Kashmiri nomadic Bakarwals walks with heard of sheep and goats near Peer Ki Gali, India, 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
"We keep on telling ourselves that this too will pass. And yes, it will," said Mohammed Latief, a young man who often works as a community cook. "But the prime concern is that our lives are fast changing. We're losing our Bakarwal culture to the modern world."
In this May 9, 2018, photo, a Kashmiri nomadic Bakarwal boy leads the heard of sheep and goats near Dubgan, 70 kilometers (43 miles) south of Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir. (AP Photo/Dar Yasin)
Javaid Rahi, who runs the Tribal Research and Cultural Foundation, a nonprofit group that studies the state's tribal people, agrees. He says many Bakarwal have left herding to become semiskilled laborers or beggars.
"This community is under immense pressure. They're being accused of forest encroachment. Their passages are being restricted and are subjected to communal attacks," Rahi said. "I'm afraid they'll soon be forced to abandon their core occupation of seasonal migration. In a decade or so, it'll be a history of past."
NEW DELHI (AP) — Millions of Indians began voting Friday in a six-week election that's a referendum on Narendra Modi, the populist prime minister who has championed an assertive brand of Hindu nationalist politics and is seeking a rare third term as the country's leader.
The voters began queuing up at polling stations hours before they were allowed in at 7 a.m. in the first 21 states to hold votes, from the Himalayan mountains to the tropical Andaman Islands. Nearly 970 million voters — more than 10% of the world’s population — will elect 543 members to the lower house of Parliament for five years during the staggered elections that run until June 1. The votes will be counted on June 4.
This election is seen as one of the most consequential in India’s history and will test the limits of Modi's political dominance.
If Modi wins, he’ll be only the second Indian leader to retain power for a third term, after Jawaharlal Nehru, the country’s first prime minister.
Most polls predict a win for Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, who are up against a broad opposition alliance led by the Indian National Congress and powerful regional parties.
It's not clear who will lead India if the opposition alliance, called INDIA, wins the election. Its more than 20 parties have not put forward a candidate yet.
The BJP controls much of India's Hindi-speaking northern and central parts, but is now trying to gain a foothold in the east and south. Their toughest challenge is in the southern Tamil Nadu state, with 39 seats, and where voting is being held on Friday.
Voters in hot and humid Chennai, the state's capital, began briskly filling the city's nearly 4,000 polling booths. A number of them said they were voting for a change in federal government given rising prices, unemployment and religious polarization stoked by the BJP.
“First thing I came to vote for is to have a country without any religious disharmony. In Tamil Nadu — Hindus, Muslims, Christians, we're all together. And this unity should grow," said Mary Das, a 65-year-old, who was waiting to vote.
P. Chidambaram, an opposition Congress party leader and the country’s former finance minister, said that the people of Tamil Nadu would not vote for the BJP as “it is imposing one language, one culture, one system and one kind of food.”
The BJP has long struggled to capture votes in the state, where two powerful regional parties -- the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam — dominate. The BJP drew a blank in 2019, and won one seat in 2014.
Voting is also taking place in the northeastern state of Manipur, where a near-civil war for a year has triggered ethnic violence. Mobs have rampaged through villages and torched houses, while more than 150 people have been killed.
The election comes after a decade of Modi's leadership, during which the BJP has consolidated power through a combination of Hindu-first politics and economic development.
Modi has ratcheted up Hindu nationalist rhetoric on the campaign trail, and has sought to present himself as a global leader. His ministers tout him as the steward of a surging India, while his supporters celebrate his campaign promise to make India a developed nation by 2047, when it marks 100 years of independence.
But while India’s economy is among the world’s fastest-growing, many of its people face growing economic distress. The opposition alliance is hoping to tap into this, seeking to galvanize voters on issues like high unemployment, inflation, corruption and low agricultural prices that have driven two years of farmers' protests.
The opposition, and critics, also warn that Modi has turned increasingly illiberal. They accuse Modi of using tax authorities and the police to harass the opposition, and fear that a third term could undermine India's democracy. His Hindu nationalist politics, they argue, has bred intolerance and threatens the country's secular roots.
“Modi has a very authoritarian mindset. He doesn't believe in democracy. He doesn't believe in Parliamentarianism,” said Christophe Jaffrelot, a political scientist who has written about Modi and the Hindu right.
Modi insists that India's commitment to democracy is unchanged. He told a Summit for Democracy meeting in New Delhi in March that '"India is not only fulfilling the aspirations of its 1.4 billion people, but is also providing hope to the world that democracy delivers and empowers.’’
The Indian leader, who enjoys vast popularity among India's 1.4 billion people, is targeting a two-thirds majority this time.
The BJP hopes for a landslide win powered by its popular welfare programs, which it says have improved access to clean toilets, health care and cooking gas, as well as providing free grain to the poor. Moves like the construction of a controversial temple to Ram on the site of a demolished mosque, and the scrapping of the disputed Muslim-majority region of Kashmir's former autonomy, may resonate with supporters who hail him as the champion of the Hindu majority.
“Any party that comes back for a third term, and with a brute majority, is a scary prospect for democracy,” said Arati Jerath, a political commentator.
Modi's two terms have seen civil liberties in India come under attack and it implementing what critics say are discriminatory policies. Peaceful protests have been crushed with force. A once free and diverse press is threatened, violence is on the rise against the Muslim minority, and government agencies have arrested opposition politicians in alleged corruption cases.
The BJP has denied its policies are discriminatory and says its work benefits all Indians.
AP writer Sibi Arasu contributed reporting from Chennai, India.
An elderly woman sits on a chair as people wait to cast their votes during the first round of polling of India's national election in Chennai, southern Tamil Nadu state, Friday, April 19, 2024. Nearly 970 million voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for five years, during staggered elections that will run until June 1. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
A woman casts her vote during the first round of polling of India's national election in Behror, Rajasthan state, India, Friday, April 19, 2024. Nearly 970 million voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for five years, during staggered elections that will run until June 1. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
Women wait to cast their votes during the first round of voting of India's national election in Behror, Rajasthan state, India, Friday, April 19, 2024. Nearly 970 million voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for five years, during staggered elections that will run until June 1. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
People wait in a queue to cast their votes during the first round of polling of India’s national election in Chedema village, in the northeastern Indian state of Nagaland, Friday, April 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Yirmiyan Arthur)
Women arrive to cast their ballots at a women only booth during the first round of polling of India’s national election in Doda district, Jammu and Kashmir, India, Friday, April 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Channi Anand)
A woman wearing a mask waits at a women only booth during the first round of polling of India’s national election in Doda district, Jammu and Kashmir, India, Friday, April 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Channi Anand)
Women arrive to cast their ballots at a women only booth during the first round of polling of India’s national election in Doda district, Jammu and Kashmir, India, Friday, April 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Channi Anand)
A polling official puts indelible ink mark on the index finger of a woman as she arrives to vote during the first round of voting of India’s national election in Chennai, southern Tamil Nadu state, Friday, April 19, 2024. Nearly 970 million voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for five years, during staggered elections that will run until June 1. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
A policeman assists an elderly voter at a polling station during the first round of polling of India's national election in Chennai, southern Tamil Nadu state, Friday, April 19, 2024. Nearly 970 million voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for five years, during staggered elections that will run until June 1. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Villagers check their names on a voter list of a congress party agent outside a polling station during the first round of voting of India's national election in Bahona village, Jorhat, India, Friday, April 19, 2024. Nearly 970 million voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for five years, during staggered elections that will run until June 1. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)
A woman prepares to vote during the first round of voting of India's national election in Neemrana, Rajasthan state, India, Friday, April 19, 2024. Nearly 970 million voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for five years, during staggered elections that will run until June 1. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
Women wait to cast their votes during the first round of polling of India's national election in Chennai, southern Tamil Nadu state, Friday, April 19, 2024. Nearly 970 million voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for five years, during staggered elections that will run until June 1. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
People arrive to cast their ballots during the first round of voting of India's national election in Neemrana, Rajasthan state, India, Friday, April 19, 2024. Nearly 970 million voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for five years, during staggered elections that will run until June 1. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
A woman prepares to vote during the first round of voting of India's national election in Neemrana, Rajasthan state, India, Friday, April 19, 2024. Nearly 970 million voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for five years, during staggered elections that will run until June 1. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
A man on a wheelchair prepares to cast vote during the first round of voting of India’s national election in Chennai, southern Tamil Nadu state, Friday, April 19, 2024. Nearly 970 million voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for five years, during staggered elections that will run until June 1. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
People wait to cast their votes during the first round of polling of India’s national election in Kohima village, in the northeastern state of Nagaland, Friday, April 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Yirmiyan Arthur)
A voter on a wheelchair is assisted by others during the first round of polling of India’s national election in Chennai, southern Tamil Nadu state, Friday, April 19, 2024. Nearly 970 million voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for five years, during staggered elections that will run until June 1. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Women queue up to cast their votes during the first round of polling of India’s national election in Chennai, southern Tamil Nadu state, Friday, April 19, 2024. Nearly 970 million voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for five years, during staggered elections that will run until June 1. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
A woman, right, arrives to cast her vote during the first round of polling of India’s national election in Chennai, southern Tamil Nadu state, Friday, April 19, 2024. Nearly 970 million voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for five years, during staggered elections that will run until June 1. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
People queue up to cast their votes during the first round of polling of India’s national election in Chennai, southern Tamil Nadu state, Friday, April 19, 2024. Nearly 970 million voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for five years, during staggered elections that will run until June 1. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
A woman shows the indelible ink mark on her index finger after voting during the first round of polling of India's national election in Neemrana, Rajasthan state, India, Friday, April 19, 2024. Nearly 970 million voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for five years, during staggered elections that will run until June 1. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
A woman leaves after casting vote during the first round of polling of India's national election in Bahona village, Jorhat, northeastern Assam, India, Friday, April 19, 2024. Nearly 970 million voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for five years, during staggered elections that will run until June 1. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)
A woman casts vote during the first round of polling of India's national election in Bahona village, Jorhat, northeastern Assam, India, Friday, April 19, 2024. Nearly 970 million voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for five years, during staggered elections that will run until June 1. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)
A dog waits for handouts from a village elder at a polling station during the first round of polling of India’s national election in Kohima village, in the northeastern state of Nagaland, Friday, April 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Yirmiyan Arthur)
Security men guard as people wait to cast their votes during the first round of polling of India’s national election in Kohima village, in the northeastern state of Nagaland, Friday, April 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Yirmiyan Arthur)
Women queue up to cast their votes during the first round of polling of India’s national election in Doda district, Jammu and Kashmir, India, Friday, April 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Channi Anand)
Women wait up to cast their votes during the first round of polling of India’s national election in Doda district, Jammu and Kashmir, India, Friday, April 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Channi Anand)
Women queue up to cast their votes during the first round of polling of India’s national election in Doda district, Jammu and Kashmir, India, Friday, April 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Channi Anand)
Villagers check their names on a voter list of a congress party agent outside a polling station during the first round of voting of India's national election in Bahona village, Jorhat, India, Friday, April 19, 2024. Nearly 970 million voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for five years, during staggered elections that will run until June 1. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)
A woman leaves after casting vote during the first round of polling of India's national election in Bahona village, Jorhat, India, Friday, April 19, 2024. Nearly 970 million voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for five years, during staggered elections that will run until June 1. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)
An official puts indelible ink mark on the index finger of a woman before she casts her vote during the first round of polling of India's national election in Neemrana, Rajasthan state, India, Friday, April 19, 2024. Nearly 970 million voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for five years, during staggered elections that will run until June 1. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
A woman shows indelible ink mark on the index finger after she she casts her vote during the first round of polling of India's national election in Neemrana, Rajasthan state, India, Friday, April 19, 2024. Nearly 970 million voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for five years, during staggered elections that will run until June 1. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
A polling official puts indelible ink mark on the index finger of a woman as she arrives to vote during the first round of polling of India's national election in Bahona village, Jorhat, northeastern Assam, India, Friday, April 19, 2024. Nearly 970 million voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for five years, during staggered elections that will run until June 1. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)
A woman casts vote during the first round of polling of India's national election in Bahona village, Jorhat, northeastern Assam, India, Friday, April 19, 2024. Nearly 970 million voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for five years, during staggered elections that will run until June 1. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)
A man leaves after casting vote during the first round of polling of India's national election in Bahona village, Jorhat, northeastern Assam, India, Friday, April 19, 2024. Nearly 970 million voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for five years, during staggered elections that will run until June 1. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)
People stand in queue to cast their votes during the first round of polling of India's national election in Bahona village, Jorhat, northeastern Assam, India, Friday, April 19, 2024. Nearly 970 million voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for five years, during staggered elections that will run until June 1. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)
A woman shows the indelible ink mark on her finger after casting vote during the first round of polling of India's national election in Bahona village, Jorhat, northeastern Assam, India, Friday, April 19, 2024. Nearly 970 million voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for five years, during staggered elections that will run until June 1. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)
People arrive to cast their ballots during the first round of voting of India's national election in Neemrana, Rajasthan state, India, Friday, April 19, 2024. Nearly 970 million voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for five years, during staggered elections that will run until June 1. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
A woman shows the indelible ink mark on her finger after casting vote during the first round of polling of India’s national election in Doda district, Jammu and Kashmir, India, Friday, April 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Channi Anand)
People stand in queue to cast their votes during the first round of polling of India's national election in Bahona village, Jorhat, northeastern Assam, India, Friday, April 19, 2024. Nearly 970 million voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for five years, during staggered elections that will run until June 1. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)
A person casts vote during the first round of voting of India’s national election in Chennai, southern Tamil Nadu state, Friday, April 19, 2024. Nearly 970 million voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for five years, during staggered elections that will run until June 1. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
A polling official puts indelible ink mark on the index finger of a woman as she arrives to vote during the first round of voting of India’s national election in Chennai, southern Tamil Nadu state, Friday, April 19, 2024. Nearly 970 million voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for five years, during staggered elections that will run until June 1. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
A woman prepares to vote during the first round of voting of India's national election in Neemrana, Rajasthan state, India, Friday, April 19, 2024. Nearly 970 million voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for five years, during staggered elections that will run until June 1. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
A woman prepares to vote during the first round of voting of India's national election in Neemrana, Rajasthan state, India, Friday, April 19, 2024. Nearly 970 million voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for five years, during staggered elections that will run until June 1. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
People vote during the first round of voting of India's national election in Neemrana, Rajasthan state, India, Friday, April 19, 2024. Nearly 970 million voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for five years, during staggered elections that will run until June 1. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
People vote during the first round of voting of India's national election in Neemrana, Rajasthan state, India, Friday, April 19, 2024. Nearly 970 million voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for five years, during staggered elections that will run until June 1. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)
A woman prepares to vote during the first round of voting of India’s national election in Chennai, southern Tamil Nadu state, Friday, April 19, 2024. Nearly 970 million voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for five years, during staggered elections that will run until June 1. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
People arrive to vote during the first round of voting of India’s national election in Chennai, southern Tamil Nadu state, Friday, April 19, 2024. Nearly 970 million voters will elect 543 members for the lower house of Parliament for five years, during staggered elections that will run until June 1. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
A police officer gives instructions to his colleagues at an Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) distribution venue on the eve of the first round of voting in the six-week-long national election in Chennai, India, Thursday, April 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)
Polling officials and security personnels carry Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and other election material off a boat after crossing the Brahmaputra river on the eve of the national election at Baghmora Chapori (small island) of Majuli, about 350km (218 miles) east of the state capital Guwahati, India, Thursday, April 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)
Polling officers stand in a queue to collect electronic voting machines and other election material on the eve of the first round of voting in the six-week long national election in Kohima, capital of the northeastern Indian state of Nagaland, Thursday, April 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Yirmiyan Arthur)
