Indian elections to begin on 7 April
World’s biggest democracy announces calendar for month-long vote that pits ruling Congress party against resurgent BJP
The Indian
elections, the world’s biggest democratic exercise, will take place over
nearly six weeks beginning on April 7, the country’s election
commission has announced.
More than 800 million voters are eligible to cast ballots at 930,000 polling booths to elect a new 543-seat lower house of parliament, the Lok Sabha (House of the People) and decide who will lead the vast emerging economic power over a five-year term.
Announcing the polls in Delhi, chief election commissioner VS Sampath spoke of “yet another milestone in the history of Indian democracy” but warned politicians that the electoral code of conduct was now in “immediate” force to ensure “free and fair polls”.
Sampath said counting would occur on a single day: 16 May.
Observers say the contest is one of the most significant since India won independence from Britain in 1952. It will pit Narendra Modi, the candidate of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata party (BJP), against Rahul Gandhi, the scion of India’s most prominent political dynasty who, though not a declared prime ministerial candidate, is the face of the campaign of the ruling Congress party.
Congress have been in power since 2004 but have been badly hit by a wave of corruption scandals, a failure to push through reforms, runaway inflation and flagging economic growth.
Modi, who is one of India’s most polarising political figures, has topped most recent popularity surveys. Congress appear set to be reduced to one of its smallest parliamentary presences ever, as voters demand wholesale change.
For the first time ballots will include a “none of the above” option for those who do not wish to vote for any candidate.
Close to four million staff will be deployed during the polls, which will occur over nine separate phases to allow security personnel to be shifted around the country. The Indian consitution demands that voters do not have to travel more than 1.2 miles (2km) from their homes to vote.
Sheer logistics make it impossible to conduct the poll on a single day. Camel carts are used to carry voting booths across sand dunes in arid western constituencies, though helicopters have now largely replaced the elephants that once delivered ballots to those living in the upper reaches of the Himayalan mountains.
Security is also a major issue. The disputed Kashmir valley and the country’s north-east have been hit by separatist violence. There are also problems in parts of the central and eastern India where Maoist insurgents continue a violent campaign. Other perils are less predictable. In rural areas of the southern state of Karnataka rogue elephants can pose problems.
Among the thousands of candidates – whose nominations will be have to be put forward to the election commission in coming weeks – are expected to be Bollywood film stars, cricket players, serving parliamentarians accused of rape and murder, as well dozens of larger-than-life regional leaders.
Figures such as Mamata Banerjee, the maverick chief minister of the state of West Bengal, and Jayalalithaa Jayaram, chief minister of the southern Tamil Nadu state, are likely to be key powerbrokers. No single party has won a majority since 1989.
Other major politicians such as Mayawati, a female politician who goes by one name and who leads a party representing those at the bottom of India’s tenacious “caste” social hierarchy, could play a significant role.
One new entrant is the Aam Admi (Common Man) party, founded in late 2012, which has overturned traditional politics in the capital Delhi. Senior officials of the party, which briefly ran the capital after winning 28 of 70 seats in a local election last year, say they believe the party’s strong stance on governance, transparency and corruption, as well as its raft of first-time candidates, can win support across the country.
“The public mood is definitely with the AAP,” Aatishi Marlena, a senior policy official in the party, said.
More than 150m first-time voters are expected to play a key role. Many have grown up with a booming economy and high expectations.
“This is quite frankly one of the most significant elections since India’s independence,” said Hartosh Singh Bal, political editor of the Caravan magazine.
Sampath, the election commissioner, said there were 100m more voters in 2014 than in the last elections. His colleagues have predicted turnouts up to or exceeding 70%.
“We expect the polling percentage to touch 70% or even cross it for the 16th Lok Sabha election. The [commission] has done work on a massive scale to educate voters, especially the vulnerable ones – illiterate, poor, marginalised – as well as women and youth,” HS Brahma, an election commissioner, told local reporters.
Election results in India are always notoriously difficult to predict but many analysts expect a fractured mandate and another era of coalition politics.
Congress ministers say they believe they will be able to form a government with the assistance of minor parties. “There is still a battle here. It’s not all going the BJP’s way,” one told the Guardian last month.
Privately, however, ministers have admitted they face major losses. “Congress has actually come to terms with the fact that it’s going to put in one of its most dismal showings in years,” said Bal, the journalist. “They’re trying to do their best in a bad situation with the hope that a coalition of regional parties will be able to keep Modi out of power.”
India has seen strong economic growth during the early part of the past decade of Congress rule but also immense problems. Inflation hit double digits in 2011 and 2012, forcing millions of India’s poorest to choose between food and medicine.
Corruption scandals surrounding the 2010 Commonwealth Games and the sale of 2G telecom licences also undermined public faith in good governance and the government’s response to the gang-rape of a Delhi student in 2012, which brought thousands of protesters on to the streets, was seen as slow and inadequate.
A recent publicity campaign has sought to emphasise the Congress-led coalition’s achievements, including an increase in power generation, major new inititatives to expand subsidies to rural areas and a freedom of information act.
BJP strategists believe Modi can bring them a landslide victory. Supporters point to the candidate’s personal honesty as well as an impressive record of economic growth and decision-making in Gujarat, the state he has run since 2002.
The reputation of the 63-year-old has been tarnished, though, by allegations that he failed to stop sectarian rioting shortly after he took power in the state in 2002. More than a thousand people, mostly Muslims, were killed in the violence, which was sparked by the deaths of 59 Hindus in a blaze started on a train carrying pilgrims.
This may stop India’s estimated 150m Muslims voting for Modi, some analysts say.
“You can see a Modi and BJP wave in every corner of the country. Now Muslims are more concerned with social and economic issues. Congress and other secular parties have created a fear of Modi and the BJP among Muslims but that is an expired formula. The new generation are concerned with development only,” said Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, the BJP vice-president.
One senior Congress officials described Modi as a “hatemonger”.
Early casualties of this year’s election could be India’s premier league (IPL) and its millions of cricket-mad fans. India’s home ministry has told the country’s cricket board that it cannot guarantee security for IPL matches during the polls and that part of the tournament may have to be hosted in Sri Lanka or South Africa.
That news prompted spoof messages asking India’s election commission to get its priorities straight and consider hosting part of the general election abroad instead.
The polling dates - which will be held in several phases in some states - have been announced as 7 April, 9 April, 10 April, 12 April, 17 April, 24 April, 30 April, 7 May and 12 May.
The new parliament must be constituted by 31 May.
More than 800 million voters are eligible to cast ballots at 930,000 polling booths to elect a new 543-seat lower house of parliament, the Lok Sabha (House of the People) and decide who will lead the vast emerging economic power over a five-year term.
Announcing the polls in Delhi, chief election commissioner VS Sampath spoke of “yet another milestone in the history of Indian democracy” but warned politicians that the electoral code of conduct was now in “immediate” force to ensure “free and fair polls”.
Sampath said counting would occur on a single day: 16 May.
Observers say the contest is one of the most significant since India won independence from Britain in 1952. It will pit Narendra Modi, the candidate of the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata party (BJP), against Rahul Gandhi, the scion of India’s most prominent political dynasty who, though not a declared prime ministerial candidate, is the face of the campaign of the ruling Congress party.
Congress have been in power since 2004 but have been badly hit by a wave of corruption scandals, a failure to push through reforms, runaway inflation and flagging economic growth.
Modi, who is one of India’s most polarising political figures, has topped most recent popularity surveys. Congress appear set to be reduced to one of its smallest parliamentary presences ever, as voters demand wholesale change.
For the first time ballots will include a “none of the above” option for those who do not wish to vote for any candidate.
Close to four million staff will be deployed during the polls, which will occur over nine separate phases to allow security personnel to be shifted around the country. The Indian consitution demands that voters do not have to travel more than 1.2 miles (2km) from their homes to vote.
Sheer logistics make it impossible to conduct the poll on a single day. Camel carts are used to carry voting booths across sand dunes in arid western constituencies, though helicopters have now largely replaced the elephants that once delivered ballots to those living in the upper reaches of the Himayalan mountains.
Security is also a major issue. The disputed Kashmir valley and the country’s north-east have been hit by separatist violence. There are also problems in parts of the central and eastern India where Maoist insurgents continue a violent campaign. Other perils are less predictable. In rural areas of the southern state of Karnataka rogue elephants can pose problems.
Among the thousands of candidates – whose nominations will be have to be put forward to the election commission in coming weeks – are expected to be Bollywood film stars, cricket players, serving parliamentarians accused of rape and murder, as well dozens of larger-than-life regional leaders.
Figures such as Mamata Banerjee, the maverick chief minister of the state of West Bengal, and Jayalalithaa Jayaram, chief minister of the southern Tamil Nadu state, are likely to be key powerbrokers. No single party has won a majority since 1989.
Other major politicians such as Mayawati, a female politician who goes by one name and who leads a party representing those at the bottom of India’s tenacious “caste” social hierarchy, could play a significant role.
One new entrant is the Aam Admi (Common Man) party, founded in late 2012, which has overturned traditional politics in the capital Delhi. Senior officials of the party, which briefly ran the capital after winning 28 of 70 seats in a local election last year, say they believe the party’s strong stance on governance, transparency and corruption, as well as its raft of first-time candidates, can win support across the country.
“The public mood is definitely with the AAP,” Aatishi Marlena, a senior policy official in the party, said.
More than 150m first-time voters are expected to play a key role. Many have grown up with a booming economy and high expectations.
“This is quite frankly one of the most significant elections since India’s independence,” said Hartosh Singh Bal, political editor of the Caravan magazine.
Sampath, the election commissioner, said there were 100m more voters in 2014 than in the last elections. His colleagues have predicted turnouts up to or exceeding 70%.
“We expect the polling percentage to touch 70% or even cross it for the 16th Lok Sabha election. The [commission] has done work on a massive scale to educate voters, especially the vulnerable ones – illiterate, poor, marginalised – as well as women and youth,” HS Brahma, an election commissioner, told local reporters.
Election results in India are always notoriously difficult to predict but many analysts expect a fractured mandate and another era of coalition politics.
Congress ministers say they believe they will be able to form a government with the assistance of minor parties. “There is still a battle here. It’s not all going the BJP’s way,” one told the Guardian last month.
Privately, however, ministers have admitted they face major losses. “Congress has actually come to terms with the fact that it’s going to put in one of its most dismal showings in years,” said Bal, the journalist. “They’re trying to do their best in a bad situation with the hope that a coalition of regional parties will be able to keep Modi out of power.”
India has seen strong economic growth during the early part of the past decade of Congress rule but also immense problems. Inflation hit double digits in 2011 and 2012, forcing millions of India’s poorest to choose between food and medicine.
Corruption scandals surrounding the 2010 Commonwealth Games and the sale of 2G telecom licences also undermined public faith in good governance and the government’s response to the gang-rape of a Delhi student in 2012, which brought thousands of protesters on to the streets, was seen as slow and inadequate.
A recent publicity campaign has sought to emphasise the Congress-led coalition’s achievements, including an increase in power generation, major new inititatives to expand subsidies to rural areas and a freedom of information act.
BJP strategists believe Modi can bring them a landslide victory. Supporters point to the candidate’s personal honesty as well as an impressive record of economic growth and decision-making in Gujarat, the state he has run since 2002.
The reputation of the 63-year-old has been tarnished, though, by allegations that he failed to stop sectarian rioting shortly after he took power in the state in 2002. More than a thousand people, mostly Muslims, were killed in the violence, which was sparked by the deaths of 59 Hindus in a blaze started on a train carrying pilgrims.
This may stop India’s estimated 150m Muslims voting for Modi, some analysts say.
“You can see a Modi and BJP wave in every corner of the country. Now Muslims are more concerned with social and economic issues. Congress and other secular parties have created a fear of Modi and the BJP among Muslims but that is an expired formula. The new generation are concerned with development only,” said Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, the BJP vice-president.
One senior Congress officials described Modi as a “hatemonger”.
Early casualties of this year’s election could be India’s premier league (IPL) and its millions of cricket-mad fans. India’s home ministry has told the country’s cricket board that it cannot guarantee security for IPL matches during the polls and that part of the tournament may have to be hosted in Sri Lanka or South Africa.
That news prompted spoof messages asking India’s election commission to get its priorities straight and consider hosting part of the general election abroad instead.
The polling dates - which will be held in several phases in some states - have been announced as 7 April, 9 April, 10 April, 12 April, 17 April, 24 April, 30 April, 7 May and 12 May.
The new parliament must be constituted by 31 May.
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