(Bloomberg) — Each day, Bloomberg journalists take you across a selection of towns and cities as they gear up for the big vote.

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Hello, this is Pratik Parija, Bloomberg’s agriculture reporter in New Delhi. I hail from Odisha, the eastern Indian state Prime Minister Narendra Modi is wooing hard to boost his Bharatiya Janata Party’s tally in the parliament. He is up against a regional party, led by former ally Naveen Patnaik, the state’s chief minister since 2000. Patnaik’s Biju Janata Dal won 12 of the 21 parliament seats in 2019. The mineral-rich state, with some of India’s biggest coal and bauxite reserves, has seen rapid industrialization in recent years. While that boosted job prospects, extensive mining and new factories have severely depleted the state’s dense forests. Left wing violence, though on a decline, continues to haunt at least four of the five constituencies voting on Monday. Poverty among tribals — India’s indigenous people — is a major issue. As are rising pollution and lack of affordable healthcare. In Sundargarh, home to one of India’s oldest steel mill, Patnaik’s party has fielded former Indian national hockey team captain Dilip Tirkey to take on tribal leader and former minister Jual Oram of the BJP, who has won all but one election from this seat since 1998. Modi’s party is counting on a member of the former royal family to retain the nearby Balangir constituency.

Top Stories

Voters in India’s financial capital Mumbai — home to billionaires, film stars and millions of slum dwellers — went to the polls on Monday, with the opposition alliance making a renewed push to break Modi’s hold on power.

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• Indian Authorities Seize $1.1 Billion in Cash, Drugs In Election

• India’s Election Body Raises Turnout Figures, Despite Criticism

Campaign Trail

About 47% of eligible voters in the 49 parliament constituencies polling in the fifth phase of elections on Monday had exercised their franchise until 3 p.m. local time. Baramulla in India’s Kashmir saw a voter turnout of 35% till 1 pm. Regional party National Conference’s leader Omar Abdullah said that the situation in the Kashmir valley is “not normal.”

Citing the increasing market volatility in India over the past few weeks, Congress party spokesman Jairam Ramesh said that there is no need for fear-mongering. The party’s coalition will provide a stable, and predictable policy environment, if voted to power.

Global Media

The Financial Times reported about the surprising absence of a third wave in favor of Modi. While there was no backlash against the prime minister, voters appear to focus on local issues and leaders.

The Guardian reported that Facebook and Instagram owner Meta approved a series of AI-manipulated political adverts during India’s election that spread disinformation and incited religious violence.

Who Votes This Week?

India’s mammoth election runs through June 1, with counting scheduled for June 4. This map from the Election Commission of India shows which constituencies vote when.

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Indians are voting in the world’s biggest election. Understand how money and business intersect with politics and power by following Bloomberg India’s channel on WhatsApp, and sign up for the weekly India Edition newsletter by Menaka Doshi.

This story was produced with the assistance of Bloomberg Automation.

–With assistance from Supriya Batra.

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