Front Burner

Is democracy at stake in India's election?

Nearly a billion people in India are headed to the polls, as Narendra Modi seeks a third term as prime minister. What could that mean for the country’s democracy?
Narendra Modi speaks at a microphone.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses his supporters during an election campaign rally in Balurghat in the eastern state of West Bengal, India, on Tuesday. (Reuters)

The single biggest election in the history of democracy is happening right now in India. Just shy of one billion people are eligible voters, but it's not just big from a numbers perspective. It's also being called one of the most pivotal elections in Indian history.

Incumbent Prime Minister Narendra Modi is projected to win. But Modi's commitment to Hindu nationalism has many questioning what a third term might mean for the future of India's democracy, and the idea of a pluralistic Indian society.

Salimah Shivji is the CBC's South Asia correspondent. She's also working on a new CBC podcast about Modi and the fundamental ways he's changing his country. It'll be part of our Understood feed, you can subscribe here.

Salimah spoke to host Jayme Poisson about why the stakes of this election are so high.

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