India Votes in Final Phase of Elections as Both Modi and Rahul Gandhi Eye Victory

Voters stand in line to cast their votes at a polling station during the seventh and last phase of the general election, at a village in Firozpur district, Punjab, India, June 1, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
Voters stand in line to cast their votes at a polling station during the seventh and last phase of the general election, at a village in Firozpur district, Punjab, India, June 1, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
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India Votes in Final Phase of Elections as Both Modi and Rahul Gandhi Eye Victory

Voters stand in line to cast their votes at a polling station during the seventh and last phase of the general election, at a village in Firozpur district, Punjab, India, June 1, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
Voters stand in line to cast their votes at a polling station during the seventh and last phase of the general election, at a village in Firozpur district, Punjab, India, June 1, 2024. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

India voted on Saturday in the final phase of a long-drawn general election, held in record summer heat in many parts, as both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his challengers said they would win the polls centered mostly on inequality and religion.
The seven-phase vote, in which nearly a billion people were eligible to cast their ballots, began on April 19 and will end with polling in the last 57 seats - including in Modi's constituency in the Hindu holy city of Varanasi, said Reuters.
More than 100 million people are registered to vote across eight states and federal territories on Saturday, including in the northern state of Punjab and the eastern states of Bihar, West Bengal and Odisha.
"Calling upon the voters to turnout in large numbers and vote," Modi said as polls opened. "Together, let's make our democracy more vibrant and participative."
Modi is seeking a rare, third straight term as prime minister as his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) battles an opposition alliance of two dozen parties led by the Congress, and is widely expected to win a majority.
But he and his party have run into a spirited campaign by the opposition alliance called 'INDIA' or the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance, sowing some doubt about whether Modi's expected victory would come easily.
Scorching summer temperatures with unusually high heatwaves have compounded voter fatigue in the majority-Hindu country of 1.4 billion people, where unemployment and inflation are the main concerns for voters.
Nearly two dozen election officials died of suspected heatstroke in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh ahead of the vote on Friday, authorities said.
Modi and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi have both predicted heavy defeat for each other and said their respective alliances were set to form the next government.
TV exit polls expected after the conclusion of the vote will project how well or poorly the parties are faring ahead of the results, due on June 4. Exit polls, however, have a patchy record in India and have been widely off the mark previously.
Modi began his re-election campaign by focusing on his achievements over the last 10 years but soon switched to mostly targeting the opposition by accusing them of favoring India's minority Muslims, comprising roughly 200 million of the population.
This change of tack, analysts said, was likely aimed at firing up his Hindu nationalist base after a low turnout in the first phase sparked concerns that BJP supporters were not voting in large numbers.
The opposition campaign has largely focused on affirmative action and saving the constitution from what they say is Modi's dictatorial rule.



11 Killed when Vehicle Plows Into Filipino Street Festival Crowd in Vancouver

Police officers work by a SUV, which was driven into a crowd at the Lapu Lapu day block party, as bodies of victims lie covered on the ground, in Vancouver, Canada April 27, 2025. REUTERS/Chris Helgren
Police officers work by a SUV, which was driven into a crowd at the Lapu Lapu day block party, as bodies of victims lie covered on the ground, in Vancouver, Canada April 27, 2025. REUTERS/Chris Helgren
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11 Killed when Vehicle Plows Into Filipino Street Festival Crowd in Vancouver

Police officers work by a SUV, which was driven into a crowd at the Lapu Lapu day block party, as bodies of victims lie covered on the ground, in Vancouver, Canada April 27, 2025. REUTERS/Chris Helgren
Police officers work by a SUV, which was driven into a crowd at the Lapu Lapu day block party, as bodies of victims lie covered on the ground, in Vancouver, Canada April 27, 2025. REUTERS/Chris Helgren

A man drove a vehicle into a crowd at a Filipino heritage festival in the Canadian city of Vancouver, killing 11 people and injuring more than 20 others, authorities said Sunday.
The vehicle entered the street at 8:14 p.m. on Saturday and struck people attending the Lapu Lapu Day festival, the Vancouver Police Department said in a social media post.
Prime Minister Mark Carney canceled his first campaign event on the final day of the election campaign ahead of Monday’s vote.
“An investigation is ongoing to determine how and why this horrific attack occurred. Authorities have confirmed one person is custody and it is believed they acted alone," he said.
Video of the aftermath shows the dead and injured along a narrow street in South Vancouver lined by food trucks. The front of the driver's SUV is smashed in, The Associated Press reported.
Kris Pangilinan, who brought his pop-up clothing and lifestyle booth to the festival, saw the vehicle enter past the barricade slowly before the driver slammed on the gas in an area that was packed with people after a concert. He said hearing the sounds of bodies hitting the vehicle will never leave his mind and continues to roll around in his head.
"He sideswiped someone on his right side and 'I was like ‘Oh, yo yo.’ And then he slammed on the gas,” he said. “And the sound of the acceleration, it sounds like an F1 car about to start a race.
"He slammed on the gas, barreled through the crowd. And all I can remember is seeing bodies flying up in the air higher than the food trucks themselves and landing on the ground and people yelling and screaming. It looked like a bowling ball hitting hitting bowling pins and all the pins are flying into the air.”
A 30-year-old Vancouver man was arrested at the scene and the department’s Major Crime Section is overseeing the investigation, police said.
“At this time, we are confident that this incident was not an act of terrorism,” the police department posted early Sunday.
Interim Vancouver Police Chief Steve Rai told a news conference that the man was arrested after initially being apprehended by bystanders.