Fifth phase of voting begins in India as Mumbai, the city of the Gandhi family, prepares to vote

After an initial poor showing, more people started voting, with an average turnout of 66.95 percent in the four phases and 69 percent in the fourth phase on May 13.

Modi, who is expected to become prime minister for a third consecutive term, has been accused by opponents of targeting minority Muslims to appease fundamentalist voters.

Modi has repeatedly accused the Congress party of planning to give welfare benefits to Muslims at the expense of disadvantaged tribal groups and Hindu castes, a claim the Congress has denied.

In a recently televised interview after the fourth phase, Modi said it was his resolve to “not do Hindu-Muslim in politics”.

The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party alliance comprising Congress and a dozen political parties got a major boost after the court granted temporary relief to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, a staunch critic of Modi, and allowed him to campaign in the elections.

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