2024 Polls in India: A Look at Electoral Democracy in the World’s Oldest City

June 1 was the last day of voting in India, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s constituency, the holy city of Varanasi, saw a steady stream of voters.

Voters line up to cast their ballots at a polling station during the seventh and final phase of voting in India's general election in Varanasi, India, on June 1, 2024. Niharika Kulkarni/AFP via Getty Images

News Analysis

VARANASI, India—June 1 was the last day of voting in India’s six-week-long election before a new government is declared on June 4. Polling booths in the ancient city wore a festive look, decked with tricolor balloons, banners, and pictures.