Tight security as India wraps up poll marathon
Police armed with video cameras and soldiers with automatic rifles were among a million security forces on alert in 16 Indian states for today’s voting in the fifth and final phase of three-week Parliament elections in the world’s largest democracy.
Although exit polls and voter surveys placed Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s National Democratic Alliance far ahead of the main opposition Congress party and its allies, most pollsters have predicted that the 11-party coalition will fall short of the 272-seat majority mark it needs in the lawmaking lower house of Parliament, the Lok Sabha.
But polls and surveys have been wrong in previous Indian elections.
“It’s still wide open,” The Times of India said in a front-page headline.
Vajpayee’s coalition, led by his Hindu-nationalist party, has been bolstered by a booming economy, moves toward peace with rival Pakistan and pledges to further modernise India.
Congress and its allies have campaigned for a more secular government and championed the rural poor, who they say have been left out of India’s new prosperity.
Balloting was being held in 16 states today, the last of five polling days spread over three weeks.
Overall results were expected on Thursday, when tallies of more than 350 million votes will be taken from millions of electronic voting machines that replaced paper ballots across India for the first time. The voter turnout has averaged 55%.
If the NDA fails to win a majority, it will be forced into horse-trading with smaller parties or independents to form a government. That raises the risk of an unstable government, which may not last the full five-year term or be able to implement its policies.
The continuing peace process with nuclear-armed rival Pakistan is not expected to be affected, no matter who forms the next government.
“Everybody knows that the dividends of peace with Pakistan are huge and range from big cuts in defence spending to large gains from trade,” The Times of India said.
Indian President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam was among the first to vote, showing off his ink-stained finger as proof, and commenting, “I feel beautiful to exercise my right to vote.”
Sonia Gandhi, the Italian-born leader of the main opposition Congress party voted early, behind a cardboard screen in a small side-room of a government building. “Let the results come. We will see what happens after that,” she told reporters.
In the New Delhi suburb of Vasant Kunj, where water is scarce, voters waited for water deliveries before going to the polls. “We have come to exercise our franchise only after making sure our tanks are filled,” said air force Wing Commander S.C. Gupta.
About a million security force troops were guarding the polling booths, some carrying video cameras to discourage fraud and violence.
At least 44 people have been killed in election violence since April 19, the eve of the first round of voting – much lower than the 100 deaths in the 1999 elections.
Most deaths have occurred in Jammu-Kashmir state, where Islamic militants have fought a 14-year campaign to separate the Muslim-majority region from India.
