Final phase: Last day of gruelling Indian election

All eyes are now on May 16 which will witness the announcement of India’s new PM.


Aditi Phadnis May 12, 2014
Members of election staff instal an electronic voting machine (EVM) inside a polling station on the eve of the final phase of general election in Kolkata May. PHOTO: REUTERS

NEW DELHI:


India will vote today (Monday) in the last and final phase of a gruelling nine-phase general election.


Polling for 41 seats is under way mostly in the decisive hot seats of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, including Varanasi, where the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi is contesting.

In a raid on Sunday evening at Modi’s election office in Varanasi, the Election Commission claimed to have detected violation of the model code of elections as they found banners, leaflets and other publicity material.

BJP workers said these were merely kept in the office as leftovers, however, rivals said the distribution of materials was going on well after 6pm on Friday when campaigning officially stopped.

If pursued, the raid could lead to the cancellation of the election itself, though this seems unlikely. With four days to go for counting – which will begin early morning on May 16 – all eyes are on the exit polls traditionally telecast at the end of the polls.

These will come out today and will give an indication of the electoral alignments.



Meanwhile, left parties and the Congress have already established contact to explore ways of working together should there be a window of opportunity.

The BJP, on the other hand, has begun discussing the constitution of its council of ministers. All eyes are now on May 16 – which will witness the announcement of India’s new prime minister.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 12th, 2014.

COMMENTS (1)

Timorlane | 9 years ago | Reply

yawn...

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