India's colossal election season begins as Modi seeks third term

As the Prime Minister's car approaches, the chants of 'Modi!' are deafening. His cavalcade moves at walking pace and as it nears, the people surge forwards with their phones out, snapping the moment for posterity. The atmosphere is carnival-like, with blaring music, drums and dancers in traditional Indian clothes. Narendra Modi, 73, has kicked off his campaign for a third term with a roadshow in Ghaziabad, a city in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh.

In many cases these parties fight each other where the BJP is not the principal opponent. Party workers find it difficult to convince voters that they are on the same side but only against Modi. The opposition are yet to come out with a common manifesto. But the common strand is on issues of unemployment, cost of living, threat to India's secular and democratic identity, social justice and farmers issues.

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