The southern states of Kerala and Karnataka will be the centre of attention as India’s massive parliamentary elections enter their second of seven phases on April 26. On April 19, India’s general election for the 543 seats in the Lok Sabha, began. On June 4, the outcomes of the biggest democratic election in history will be made public. The two main alliances, aside from a number of regional and national contenders, are the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), led by the main opposition Indian National Congress, and the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), which is led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP). India’s political scene frequently features captivating contests characterised by the coming together of disparate identities and backgrounds. This phenomenon is best exemplified by the upcoming election between two strong candidates, Bollywood star Kangana Ranaut and Royal scion Vikramaditya Singh, for the Mandi Lok Sabha seat in Himachal Pradesh. Through shedding light on the complex issues involved in the conflict between the conventional aristocracy, represented by Vikramaditya Singh, and the magnetism of Bollywood fame, personified by Kangana Ranaut, this research adds to a deeper understanding of the changing landscape of Indian politics, where identity politics and personality cults collide with the established power system.
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