Indian election: hundreds of millions go to polls - but violence breaks out
The world’s biggest democratic exercise got under way this morning as India began voting in a marathon month-long general election that looks certain to produce another fragile coalition government.
The poll is being held in five phases between today and May 13 so that all of India’s 714 million registered voters can cast their ballots at more than 828,804 polling stations across the country.
Some election officials had to ride elephants to reach remote polling stations near the northeastern border with Myanmar, while others made two-day sea journeys to the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal.
Up to 2.1 million security personnel have been deployed to prevent another terrorist attack like the one on Mumbai in November, whose only surviving perpetrator, Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, went on trial in the city yesterday.
The biggest threats come from Pakistan-based Islamic militants, such as Mr Kasab, and from indigenous Maoist rebels, who control large swaths of eastern India and have threatened to cut off the hands of anyone who votes.
The poll is being held in five phases between today and May 13 so that all of India’s 714 million registered voters can cast their ballots at more than 828,804 polling stations across the country.
Some election officials had to ride elephants to reach remote polling stations near the northeastern border with Myanmar, while others made two-day sea journeys to the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal.
Up to 2.1 million security personnel have been deployed to prevent another terrorist attack like the one on Mumbai in November, whose only surviving perpetrator, Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, went on trial in the city yesterday.
The biggest threats come from Pakistan-based Islamic militants, such as Mr Kasab, and from indigenous Maoist rebels, who control large swaths of eastern India and have threatened to cut off the hands of anyone who votes.
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