India: Fifth round of elections scheduled May 6 /update 4

Event

India is set to hold the fifth round of its general elections on Monday, May 6. Polling for Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament, will take place for constituencies in Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal states. Disruptions to commercial activity, government services, and transportation congestion are possible on Monday. A heightened security presence is expected near polling stations and other government and security force-affiliated buildings. Additionally, central police forces will be deployed inside polling stations in West Bengal state to replace state police officers following incidents of electoral violence during the fourth round on Monday, April 29. West Bengal state police will be posted outside polling booths to facilitate crowd control and prevent violence. Further incidents of protests, violence, and militant activity is possible in the coming weeks, particularly on polling dates.

Context

India is holding general elections for Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament, from April 11 to May 19. An estimated 900 million Indians are eligible to vote for 543 seats in seven phases: April 11, April 18, April 23, April 29, May 6, May 12, and May 19. Votes will be tallied and announced on May 23.

Advice

Individuals in India are advised to monitor the situation, anticipate a heightened security presence and associated business, government, and transportation disruptions, avoid all public gatherings as a precaution, adhere to instructions issued by local authorities and their home governments, and refrain from discussing political topics in public or on social media.