Why will the world watch U.S elections.
India and the U.S. are often spoken of as the world’s largest and oldest democracies, respectively.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a third straight term in the 18th Lok Sabha election due in April-May.
The U.S. will vote to elect a new President on November 5 — the 60th time in its history.
Both countries are grappling with fundamental questions regarding national identity, roles and powers of the executive, legislature, and judiciary, welfare and redistribution, and relations with the rest of the world.
Other questions that are at the centre of political debates in both countries include pedagogy — what to teach the next generation, history, the role of religion in public life, the rights and roles of various constituent social groups, women’s rights, affirmative action, border management, relations between the federal and regional governments, and the role of the media and civil society.
In both countries, there are conflicts about the election process.
Democrats and Republicans question the legitimacy of the elections that they lost, in 2016, and 2020, respectively.
Allegations of unfair means by both sides have cast a shadow on the process of elections.
Selective targeting of political opponents by investigative agencies is a common concern in both the U.S. and India.
In India, all indications are of the continuing popularity of Mr. Modi, though it is not even across the country.
In the U.S., Mr. Biden is facing historically low disapproval ratings for a sitting President.
At 81, Mr. Biden is the oldest President in the history of the U.S. and his cognitive decline is no longer unnoticeable.
The total collapse of his leadership in the wake of the Russia-Ukraine war and the unrelenting bombing of Gaza by Israel has accelerated this trend.
In the Republican party, there are contenders who seek to challenge Mr. Trump but he remains the frontrunner for party nomination by a distance.
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