Next Indian Elections

(11 Nov 2019) The Murcian municipality of Torre-Pacheco in southern Spain has become the new bastion of the Spanish far-right after the Vox party obtained a comfortable victory in Sunday's parliamentary ballot, taking three of the region's ten seats.
Vox, led by former Popular Party member Santiago Abascal, was the most voted for political force in this municipality of Murcia, securing 38% of the ballots with a electoral participation of 68%.
The 43-year-old Abascal, who speaks of "reconquering" Spain in terms that echo the medieval wars between Christian and Moorish forces, rocketed from 24 to 52 seats.
That will make Vox the third leading party in the Congress of Deputies, giving it much more leverage in forming a government and crafting legislation.
In the central Avenida de Fontes is the "Circulo Instructivo" a recreational area for retirees and pensioners of Torre-Pacheco.
Alejandro and Vicente, two local neighbours, commented on the electoral hangover and the reasons they both voted for Vox.
Both men claim Vox is the only party "telling the truth" and cracking down on immigration.
"First of all you should help Spaniards, in second place Spaniards and in third place the Spaniards and if there is something left then that's for the rest," said Vicente Garcia who previously had always voted for the conservative Popular Party.
Vox took some 10,000 votes from the Socialists and the Popular Party (PP) while the Citizens party disappeared from the board despite having obtained the regional vice presidency and several councils last April thanks to a pact with the PP.
The image of the town, however, contrasts with this result.
Indian, Arab, Eastern European and Latin American populations have settled here for decades, causing an economic revolution that has expanded trade and work in this town of 35,000 inhabitants.
The Spanish southeast region is known for its large crops that supply fruits and vegetables to the rest of Europe.
Hundreds of migrants come to this region to work the fields.
Surjit Singh, a 36-year-old Indian who arrived when he was 19, runs a mobile phone repair shop.
He was taken aback by the news of Vox's victory in his municipality and insists that "if there are no immigrants here they have a problem, because they are the only ones who work in the countryside."
Vox more than doubled its parliamentary seats behind the Socialists and the Popular Party, which surged back to win 88 seats.
Vox's surge and the gains by the Popular Party capitalised on Spanish nationalist sentiment stirred up by the Socialists' handling of the secessionist movement in the northeastern region of Catalonia.

Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives ​​
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/

You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/a3544db7925745e793955ac8083cb25b