After a month of polling, voting has finally closed in
India’s general election. It was predicted that the Prime
Minister’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had failed to secure
an overall majority. In the world’s largest democracy, over 600 million adults
had the right to vote in the election, in which over forty
parties were represented. The BJP had been widely expected to win
the election relatively easily. Their main threat was the
Congress Alliance, which governed India for its first 50 years of
independence, led by Sonia Gandhi. Two Communist parties have
also polled well. The main issue in the election has been the economy. The BJP
had to abandon their ‘India Shining’ slogan in the
campaign following harsh criticism. The party needs to gain 272
seats for an overall majority in Parliament. Current polls
indicate that it has won between 240 and 280 seats. Turnout was
less than 60%.ARCHIVE: 2nd week TT 2004
Indian election produces shock results
