Violence cast a shadow over the first round of voting in India’s general election on Tuesday with more than a dozen people killed in attacks by Kashmiri separatists and Maoist guerrillas.
More than a quarter of the electorate, about 176 million people, were eligible to vote and early exit polls indicated that the ruling Bharatiya Janata party and its allies would return to power with a slim majority in the 543-member parliament.
There was relative calm in the western state of Gujarat, where two years ago Hindu mobs killed more than 1 000 people, mostly Muslims, in a rampage which lasted weeks. The BJP is expected to sweep the state.
More than 670-million people can vote in four main phases staggered over three weeks partly to allow the deployment of 2-million security officers. During the last election in 1999, 100 people were killed in violence.
As voters went to the polls, militants in Kashmir were blamed for shooting dead a soldier guarding a polling station and for a laying a landmine which blew up when a car carrying journalists and peace activists passed over, killing two. The separatists have called for a boycott of the elections, saying that they legitimise India’s occupation of the Himalayan state.
In the north-east, Maoist rebels targeted voters. Twelve people, including a magistrate and police officers, were killed in election-related violence in three north-eastern states.
Voter turnout in the first phase was estimated at 55%, a little less than the historical average. The election, the 14th since independence in 1947, is the first carried out on electronic voting machines in the hope of ending alleged fraud.
The BJP has campaigned on its handling of the economy which grew by 8% last year, and on its peace overtures to Pakistan. This, coupled with India’s triumphant Test series in Pakistan, has generated a feel-good factor.
The main opposition party, the Congress party led by Sonia Gandhi, has tried to highlight the plight of the rural poor, who have failed to benefit from economic reforms. In the last six years, the top 20% of India’s population has seen consumption rise by a third while farming incomes have remained stagnant.
”The Congress party has failed to develop a long-term political programme for the poor and minorities, which form its core support,” said Achin Vanaik of Delhi University.
Both big parties have enlisted Bollywood stars to their campaigns but the most high-profile campaigners have been the young scions of the Gandhi family, Rahul, (34) and his younger sister, Priyanka.
The campaign has also seen the rise of slick media campaigns, especially by the BJP. It has a rapid response unit and has texted political slogans to voters.
The rising costs of elections have worried commentators. The average cost to win a parliamentary seat is estimated at £300 000, about 1 000 times India’s per capita income.”The people who can give parties for this sort of money will just end up controlling policy,” said VP Singh, a former prime minister. ”All you have done is mortgaged power before the government is formed.”
100-million vote, for a start
India has 670-million voters and 700 000 polling stations
Voting is spread over five separate days, ending on May 10
There are six national parties, the biggest being the Bharatiya Janata party and the Congress party. There is also a Communist party and one representing the Dalit, or untouchables
The elections will be completely electronic for the first time, allowing illiterate voters to take part by selecting a party symbol
This will also save 10,000 tonnes of ballot paper
An estimated 400m votes will be counted in hours, and the result known on May 13 – Guardian Unlimited Â