India Begins Worlds Largest Election

Indian voters wait in queues to cast their votes during the first phase of elections in Dibrugarh, in the northeastern state of Assam, India, April 7, 2014

A ! "asbir #ussain

April $, 2014

India%s &14 million registered electors are heading to the voting in stages over the ne't five wee(s in the planet%s largest e'ercise in democrac)* +he opposition ,- , ma(ing promises of economic change, is loo(ing strong in the opinion polls ./A0#A+I, India1 2 India started the world%s largest election 3onda), with voters in the

remote northeast ma(ing their wa) past lush rice paddies and over ric(et) bamboo bridges to reach the polls* 3ost parties were campaigning on promises of economic growth* +he countr)%s &14 million electorate will vote in stages over the ne't five wee(s 2 a staggered approach made necessar) b) India%s vast si4e 2 to choose representatives to its 5467seat lower house of parliament* +he main #indu nationalist opposition ,harati)a -anata art) led b) prime ministerial hopeful 8arendra 3odi is seen as the biggest threat to the now7governing 9ongress art) and its allies* :esults from all ;65,000 polling stations are e'pected on 3a) 1$* olls suggest 9ongress could face a drubbing than(s to corruption scandals and recent )ears of economic slowdown* +he ,- , which has pledged economic renewal, is e'pected to do well but to fall short of a 2727seat ma<orit)* Its chief, 3odi, has been credited for ushering in strong industrial growth in the western state of /u<arat, where he has been chief minister for 11 )ears* #owever, critics question whether the #indu nationalist chief can be a trul) secular leader, noting he has failed to ta(e responsibilit) or apologi4e for communal rioting that left more than 1,000 dead in his state in 2002* #e%s accused of doing little to stop the anti73uslim rampage, though he denies an) wrongdoing and has never been charged with a crime* +he ,- was the last ma<or part) on 3onda) to release its campaign manifesto, which envisions India%s path toward full development through =futuristic> infrastructure pro<ects such as high7speed trains, 100 new modern cities and wireless Internet facilities in public places* ,ut such ambitious plans hold little appeal for most voters in rural Assam, where voting too( place 3onda) in five constituencies as well as in one in neighboring +ripura state* #ere, people are more concerned about basic needs li(e guarding against the dangers of flooding, soil erosion and heav) rains washing awa) homes, or building more roads and bridges to connect far7awa) towns and villages to the main cities* =I%ve made it a point to vote this time because we want change,> said 6$7)ear7old housewife :umi 8ath, waiting to vote in the rural town of ?a(himpur on the ,rahmaputra :iver* =@ur area remains bac(ward and underdeveloped $7 )ears after independence*> Aeveral of the &,000 polling stations were temporaril) closed while officials fi'ed or replaced faulting voting machines* ,asic survival was uppermost on the mind of another ?a(himpur voter, ulo( 8ath* =As monsoon sets in, we get worried about our dail) meals,> he said* ="e have been living on a mud emban(ment for )ears now after floods washed awa) our home and large part of our village,> Despite the common last name he was no relation to :umi 8ath*

,oth 9ongress and ,- were hoping for a strong showing in the seven northeast states nic(named the =Aeven Aisters> 2 occup)ing a remote region nestled between ,hutan, ,angladesh and ,urma and made up of diverse ethnicities* /ains for 9ongress among the 25 seats in the northeast would help that part offset e'pected losses elsewhere in India, while the ,- wants to sei4e one of 9ongress% traditional strongholds* Assam%s highest elected official, 9hief 3inister +arun /ogoi of the 9ongress art), said he was confident of winning re7election* =+here is no 8arendra 3odi magic in Assam* +he 9ongress has been winning ever) form of elections since 2001 in Assam, and we are going to repeat the performance this time,> /ogoi said* In the last general elections in 200;, 9ongress won seven of Assam%s 14 parliamentar) seats to the ,- %s four, while regional parties won the rest* /ogoi%s 627)ear7old son, running for office for his first time, said he was encouraged b) the large number of politicall) engaged )ouths* "ith more than $5 percent of the countr)%s 1*2 billion population aged under 65, man) are e'pecting )oung voters to have a strong impact on the election* =I am e'tremel) happ) with the enthusiasm shown b) the large number of )oung voters who have turned out to vote this time,> /aurav /ogoi said* Aeveral groups of separatist ethnic or 3aoist rebels have threatened violence during the vote* Authorities deplo)ed 25,000 police and paramilitar) troopers to guard polling stations on 3onda)* #elicopters were put on standb), and international borders with ,angladesh and ,hutan were sealed* ="e are not ta(ing chances,> said A* * :aut, Assam%s police assistant director7general* Assam has e'perienced several separatist insurrections since 1;7;, when the rebel 0nited ?iberation Bront of Asom, or 0?BA, was formed* +hough one 0?BA faction is in peace tal(s with the central government, another is still engaged in roadside bombings and ambushes on government soldiers* @ther ethnic rebel groups li(e the 8ational Democratic Bront of ,odoland are also cause for worr), with one faction threatening northern Assam politicians* +he northeast could also be affected b) rebels inspired b) 9hinese revolutionar) leader 3ao Cedong, who have called for an election bo)cott and threatened to disrupt the vote* +he 3aoist rebels are active in 20 of India%s 2& states* Assam and +ripura will both hold polling later in April for the rest of their constituencies* @n +hursda), the vote moves to five other northeast states 2 8agaland, 3i4oram, 3anipur, 3eghala)a and Arunachal radesh*