Millions of Indian voters cast their ballots in 96 parliamentary constituencies across nine states and one union territory in the fourth of India's seven-phase elections on Monday.

A total of 1,717 candidates were in the fray in the latest round of elections to the lower house of parliament, according to the Election Commission of India.

The fourth round is crucial for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party, or BJP, because it includes some of its strongholds in states like Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. Polling was also held for some important seats in Maharashtra and Bihar states, where the BJP governs in alliance with regional parties.

Aiming to secure victory and take the reins of power for a third consecutive term, Modi has been campaigning aggressively, targeting a "supermajority" in parliament.

In a post on X on Monday, Modi expressed hope that people will vote in large numbers.

Despite high unemployment and inflation in the country, the BJP has been gaining favor among the Hindu majority population in Uttar Pradesh because of the inauguration by Modi of a grand temple for the Hindu god Ram in the state in January this year, said Anil Trivedi, a retired school teacher from Noida, Uttar Pradesh.

"Political leaders should seek votes based on development issues instead of religious polarization," said Rajesh Thakur, a resident of Uttar Pradesh, which has the most number of seats — 80 out of a total of 543 — in the lower house of parliament.

Political scientist Shyamalendu Majumder said there is discontent over unchecked unemployment, inflation, fear of the constitution being changed, and the spread of a "Hindu Rashtra" (country) narrative.

Inauguration of the Ram temple in the city of Ayodhya will certainly help the BJP to get a solid chunk of Hindu votes, especially in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra and parts of Bihar, said Amit Dholakia, a professor in the Department of Political Science, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda, in Gujarat.

BJP's confidence

Speaking to a news channel on Sunday, Modi suggested that the BJP would do better in Bihar than it did in the 2019 elections.

The opposition's campaign has placed a strong emphasis on the fact that many people in India still experience financial hardship despite the country having one of the fastest-expanding economies in the world.

"Do not get deterred by the diversionary tactics of hateful speeches which divide society," Mallikarjun Kharge, president of the Indian National Congress, the country's main opposition party, said in a social media post.

The first three phases were held on April 19, April 26 and May 7. The next three phases are scheduled for May 20, May 25 and June 1, with the results set to be announced on June 4.

Nearly 970 million Indians were eligible to vote in the multiphase election.

Karori Singh, former director and emeritus fellow of the South Asia Studies Centre at the University of Rajasthan, noted that the BJPled National Democratic Alliance is far ahead in terms of resources and campaigning, including on social media, while the opposition grouping has been focusing on the failure and nonperformance of the current government in the past 10 years.

Xu Weiwei in Hong Kong and Arunava Das contributed to this story.

Aparajit Chakraborty and Arunava Das are freelance journalists for China Daily.