India's election enters fourth phase as rhetoric over religion, inequality sharpens

Election officers check the identity proof of voters at a polling station, during the fourth general election phase, in south Kashmir's Pulwama district, May 13, 2024. REUTERS/Sharafat Ali

HYDERABAD/SRINAGAR, India (Reuters) -India voted on Monday in the fourth phase of a seven-week long general election, as campaign rhetoric became more strident over economic disparities and religious divisions.

The world's most populous nation began voting on April 19 in a seven-phase election in which nearly one billion people are eligible to vote, with ballots set to be counted on June 4.