Modi’s Coalition Sweeps Indian State Election Criticized Over Voter Rolls
The New York Times • • world
Key Points:
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s coalition won a decisive victory in Bihar’s state election, securing 202 out of 243 seats and improving their previous standing by nearly 80 seats.
- The election was marked by controversy over a rushed voter list overhaul that removed over four million names, with opposition parties accusing the move of disproportionately disenfranchising their supporters.
- The election commission and Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party defended the voter list revision as a necessary cleanup to remove dead, duplicate, and fake voters, a process now underway in nine other states.
- Strong female voter turnout, exceeding 71%, and popular policies such as scholarships for women and a state alcohol ban contributed to the coalition’s success, alongside cash handouts to
