A woman casts her vote at a polling station in Ajmer district in the desert Indian state of Rajasthan April 17, 2014. PHOTO: REUTERS
The Nehru-Gandhi dynasty will battle to save the ruling Congress party from defeat to opposition Hindu nationalist leader Narendra Modi.
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Over 195 million voters will decide out of 1,762 candidates in the largest single day of polling in the over month-long election which ends May 12, with results due on May 16.
The key day comes after India's most famous family cranked up the rhetoric in a bid to claw back support from Modi, saying the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate was a threat to the nation's secular foundations.
The Nehru-Gandhi clan, which has dominated the country since independence from Britain in 1947, has emerged fighting with Congress president Sonia Gandhi, daughter Priyanka and son Rahul all on the campaign trail.
Surveys have suggested Congress, under Rahul's leadership, is heading for a crushing defeat at the hands of the right-wing BJP.
Voting will be held in all 28 constituencies of Karnataka, which gave BJP its first government, in one go. The re-induction of BS Yeddyurappa and B Sree Ramulu caused a vertical rift in the party and the BJP will have to find out if it was worth bringing them in.
Rajasthan, a desert state which Narendra Modi visited several times, will see voting for 25 seats.
Voting will take place in 19 seats in Maharastra while Uttar Pradesh will see voting in 11 constituencies.
Polling will be held for 11 seats in Odishi, where BJP poses a serious threat to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
Seven seats are going to the polls in Bihar and the influence of Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will be put to the test in Madhya Pradesh as 10 seats go to the polls.
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Sonia, 67, the left-leaning Congress party matriarch, told voters Modi would rip India's secular fabric, accusing him of representing a "dangerous combination of religious fanaticism, power and money".
Sonia's daughter, Priyanka, 42, seen as the most gifted politician of India's so-called "first family" which has given the country three premiers, said Modi would spread divisions between the majority Hindu and minority Muslim communities.
"The ideology of Congress is to unite people and maintain the unity of the country while that of the opposition is to divide," she said.
Priyanka has strongly taken up the torch for India's secular identity, accusing her estranged cousin Varun Gandhi, a BJP candidate, of "betrayal" of the family heritage in a headline-making feud this week.
Rahul, 43, has accused Modi of displaying "anger and arrogance".
Modi's Hindu nationalist rhetoric and failure to swiftly curb 2002 deadly anti-Muslim riots that swept Gujarat state when he was chief minister have stirred worries among critics about his ability to maintain secular peace.
The BJP leader has never been found guilty by official investigations of any wrongdoing over the riots in which at least 1,000 people, mainly Muslims, died.
Modi, 63, struck back late Wednesday at the Gandhi family's attacks, saying it was their "obsession to pull Modi down".
"But Modi does not lose, does not die," he said, referring to himself in the third person, according to local media.
He rejected demands he apologise for the riots, saying he committed no crime.
"If I am guilty, hang me in the street square," he said.
He added Muslims in the Hindu city of Varanasi where he is seeking a parliamentary seat "love me when they meet me".
Modi, who has declared only he can revive India's sagging economy, said the BJP would score its "best" victory while the "useless and corrupt" Congress faced its "worst" defeat.
An opinion poll by NDTV network this week forecast the BJP would win 226 seats and with its coalition allies grab over 50 percent of the constituencies.
Voters have turned against Congress over massive graft scandals, spiralling inflation and the sharp economic slowdown, polls indicate.
Premier Manmohan Singh, 81, a respected economist handpicked by Sonia after she returned Congress to power following a nearly decade-long stint in the political wilderness, has been portrayed in a new book by his ex-press aide as a powerless puppet.
Congress said the decision to wheel out Sonia and Priyanka, who easily outshines her more awkward brother Rahul, was part of an earlier mapped strategy but analysts say it smacks of desperation.
COMMENTS (46)
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Pakistanis must learn from India's elections. It is, simply put, the greatest election in sheer numbers. And it is done in the most transparent and honest way. Politicians do not drop from heaven. They are what people elect. As people become more educated, politically savvy, they know what is true and what is "bluff". Congress has been living the "bluff" that it is secular. Most of the riots have happened during congress (mis)rule. It is now a party solely dependent on the Gandhi family, with a intellectually challenged person heading that family and wanting to be the PM of India. People are not stupid. Muslims of India have to wake up and join the mainstream. They have lived a "ghetto" existence for long. Educated people and those who are in the mainstream (people like MJ Akbar) know the reality. Modi is not a devil. His main agenda is economic. He will not deviate from it. We live in times when media is very powerful. A Modi under intense scrutiny of the media will not be able to put any "hindutva"agenda into practice. So, the talks about "ram mandir", "single civil code" are something for the muslims to ponder over but Modi will have little time for these as the PM. It is time India trashed this congress under the Gandhis. The only Gandhi worth respecting was and is the Mahatma. Rest are just plain humbugs.
@muhammad iqbal: Don't spread lies as always.Modi is a great and honest leader. Thieves will always afraid cops applicable in your case but good citizens not.
@Zen: we have tried all ways including calling them as brothers so they refrain from resorting to terrorism in our country with the help and support of india but to no use
It will be very bad if Modi comes into power. He will ruin image of India as a secular state.there will be mass murder of minorities especially Muslims. He is the symbol of Hindu extremism and Hindu fundamentalism. He willdo every thing to crush non Hindus. There should be no misunderstanding in this connection.
@Zen: They are being aptly aided by India among others
@gp65: Dear GP65, Thank you for your explanation in regard to Indian election procedures.
@gp65: Dear GP65, Thank you for your informative explanation.
At last, we have someone who will look after the interests of the majority of Indians and not short change us for minority vote banks/. Finally we will have in 10 Janpath a PM who will give a befitting response to any non-national and/or national aspirations on our country from our friendly neighbor to the west. And finally we now will have someone who will throw the No First Strike Policy out of the window. We will strike first if if our own existence is in jeopardy. We will finally have a patriot running our nation. Long live Modi.
One great thing about elections in India is that there are no complaints of bogus votes or number of votes in counts after the electronic systems have been introduced. Even in USA, we had issues of hanging chads and dimple chads. Not in India. Election Commission of India is great. Political Parties may be able to influence or buy voters, but there can be no question about the votes that the electorates actually cast at the ballot boxes. There can be no bogus votes, nor can anyone say that they have been denied an opportunity to cast their vote.
I would however wish that the election process and vote counting are done in a shorter period of time. Modi, by improving the roads and infrastructure can make this happen.
Unfortunately we do not have strong able honest leaders like modi.
Look... Who is lecturing us on Democracy and killings...
People with good intentions and brain will vote for bjp...
I must admit that I do not quite understand Indian election procedures. Why is the election only held for 22 per cent of the seats, and when is a complete vote held? Obviously, I must read up on it. I will not comment on the candidates. In spite of the usual rhetoric, which is freely given at election time, it has been my experience that a decision has to usually be made between Tweedledee and Tweedledum, and the elected Government will unfortunately live in its self-delusional Alice-in-Wonderland fantasy world, which has nothing to do with the real world, and is comprised of unimportant matters such as 25,000 rupee embassy dinners, both domestically and overseas, together with minor tit for tat spats with the US over ill treatment of diplomatic staff, which I must admit puts a little excitement into our drab and weary world. In the meantime, India's half billion people living on or below the breadline will just have to continue trying to get by as usual.
there would be a record purchase of burnol in Pakistan on 16th May 2014
@Abhi: Great abhi you peoples are the real heroes..
@Tani: Whoever you vote it is the right of Every Indian Citizen either rich of poor, The only concern people does have the way he manipulated things in his favor by sidelining major party leaders from advani to Jaswant singh shows his thirst for power, and the power of thirst can take away any human to any low even if you what he did in Gujarat in 2002 was not his admin fault, but if it was his fault as leading the state admin then why he did not resigns on the first phase and why did he kept electing himself as CM further two times shows his thirst for power. and after becoming PM he wil;l sell Indian resources at large to those ambanis and tata's whom he brought in gujarat by not giving any taxes from them just to show on national level how he is developing gujarat state is nothing just all fake claims.
@Tani
No point explaining to some people. They live in an environment where denials, conspiracies, and intrigues shape their worldview. Feudal families and military control most of their economy so it is hard for them to imagine the rise of a single capable individual such as Modi. It is also increasingly hard for them to imagine an open society where many faiths coexist and nation takes precedence over religious identity.
@Truther: Seems you are happy with the last 6 years of good governess in Pakistan. Hope it lasts the same for another 65 years with your elected leaders.
@Truther: What would you call those 'brothers' (according to APC in NA) that has killed 50,000+?
@Pakistani dont lecture us on subjects(democracy) u ppl have little knowledge on....as for indians it is unfortunate that we dont have better pm candidate then mr modi
Let me rephrase Marx, "In contemporary India, 'development' is the opium of the masses." That BJP would sweep the polls this time around riding high on their promise of better governance is an open secret. But what is not debated much in public discourse is their hidden right wing agenda. In the next 5 years BJP will bring a radical Hindu revolution in India, forever destroying the delicate social fabric of Indian society as we know it today. This would of course be done while the public is sedated on the drug called "development" on the one hand (which will help BJP to win successive elections as in Gujarat), while at the same time pushing through its right wing agendas with the other hand. By the time people realise this truth, it would be too late. Democracy would have been lost forever.
A country full of hatred is interested in Indian Elections.
@truther do you have any circumstantial/other evidence of him being mass murderer? If so submit to indian Supreme Court than make stupid allegations. The allegation against him is of being inefficient CM when riots happened. It's said CM could have controlled the riots to large extent but the matter was handled poorly by Gujarat govt and both Muslims and Hindus suffered post hindus train burnt. Other state Politicians accuse him of purposely turning blind eye than,mere inefficiency.That's the allegation, not of him being mass murderer but you are welcome to submit proof to court supporting your fabricated claims. "Largest democracy where he is is going to be PM" He's has proved himself to be best administrator of the country post 2002, won many international and national awards for his state excellent progress, development, business model,with maximum growth rate of 13.39 gdp. Gujarat had water and electricity shortage before, now every village has water and electricity.Secondly not one violence incident has happened post 2002 and Ahmedabad has become the safest city in india while mumbai slipped to fourth place. Compare that to looting secular congress who ruled india for 54years including last ten years out of 67years post independence. You want us to vote them back? Have we no common sense? Wanting change and Reforms? "Joke of democracy" joke for you truther. Indians are pragmatic and future oriented we want growth, gdp,good administration,economic reforms,development just like Gujarat not loot, poverty and corruption of congress.
4th month (april) 4 o clock, I pressed 4th button in Bangalore north. Guess the party I voted.
@Truther: mass murderer required to stop constant islamic aggression.... we love him :)
@Truther: The fact that it remains "darn polling" for you signifies your history with democracy where it took pakistan more than 60 years for a successful transition from one democracy to another while still unable to determine if they are better off with military rule, islamic rule or a democratic setup. Now i don;t really believe you are in a position to understand the scale and size and free and fair form of elections of this magnitude being held in india hence i will skip the trouble of explaining it to you.
Sonia,rahul,priyanka,robert, pack your bag and ready to go back to italy..
@salman yet you are at this page reading it.
@salman: Why is your newspaper reporting the news and why are you commenting on then??
@truther india is largest democracy in the world. 9,30,000 polling booths for 1.2 billion voters of mixed race,creed,religion,ethnic,linguistic people voting is not a joke. Its mind boggling exercise in itself. Every booth in locality has to be 2km within their residence. Safety and security of these citizens matters stretching from rural to urban to metros cities. So does keeping in check the malpractices taking place and taking action against them.Its divided into many phases to stretch from the himalayalas to kanyakumari down South, from dessert of Rajasthan is west to Nagaland in north east covering the whole country. No citizen is missed. There is even a constituency in Gujarat where there is only a single voter. Yet the election commission spends money on that poll so that , the single voter can vote. Therefore your comments is nothing but sheer ignorance, we pride ourselves for conducting such successful massive exercise keeping the tradition of democracy for past 67years your ignorant opinion doesn't matter.
Like we care
Taking weeks just for the darn polling, looks like the country's become too cumbersome for itself to handle
End of the Congress today....