India, the biggest democracy of the world, starts voting tomorrow

[DavidQuinn]

Let's hope for a political alternative like this - www.thechroniclesofhope.com. We need someone like this to come along and change the world for the better

[Aupmanyav]

Well, that is a steep requirement. We will try to change India first. India has now become a real participatory democracy. See the generally high percentage of voting.

[Aupmanyav]

Another big day in Indian Elections.

Elections over in 232 out of 543 constituencies. 117 constituencies go to polls  tomorrow in 12 states with 116 million eligible voters.

Three Kashmiris killed by terrorists including two local body representatives in a bid to frighten the voters.

[Aupmanyav]

India's 16th general elections, billed as the most expensive elections ever, are witnessing an unprecedented flow of black money into country's electoral process. Analysts claim that a mammoth $6.64 billion, roughly 0.35 percent of India's GDP, has been pumped into the democratic process.

So far, the ECI and its affiliated agencies have seized an unprecedented $50 million in cash meant to be distributed among voters. 
http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/855668.shtml#.U1f04PmSySo

A mind-boggling 13 million litres of liquor, mostly moonshine, has been seized, pointing to the intention of political parties to lure voters with spirit.

In a worrying find, 104 kg heroin was also seized by officials of the poll panel.
http://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/money-liquor-and-drug-trail-in-these-elections-114042301199_1.html

Total drug seizures stand at 30,000 kg. I guess most of it will be marijuana (the other things are costly).

[Aupmanyav]

Some correction: Total candidates 2,076; Total voters 219,511,409; Polling stations 190,935; Polling staff 1,249,609.

Add: Of the confiscated liquor, half of the India-made foreign liquor has disappeared from police possession, i.e. about 3,000 liters, while the moonshine liquor is with police. Andhra, the recently bifurcated state has produced the biggest catches of cash and liquor. Punjab accounts for the biggest drug catches.

[Aupmanyav]

Sith phase of the 2014 Indian general Elections. Heavy polling, 10 killed, 6 in Maoist bomb explosion (LS means Lok Sabha, Parliament). Voting in nearly all segments has broken the previous records with a big margin.

60 percent polling recorded in Bihar
83 percent voting as time ends in Bengal
56.26 percent voter turnout in Maharashtra
28% voter turnout in J&K's Anantnag; 24 injured in violence
70 percent polling in Tamil Nadu
Clash in Rajasthan's Dausa during voting, turnout nearly 60 percent
Over 80 percent turnout in Puducherry
Two-thirds electorate cast ballot in Chhattisgarh
Jharkhand records 63.55 percent polling
Young voters lead to good turnout in Jharkhand
Over 60 percent turnout in UP amid violent clashes, boycott
64.4 percent voting in ten constituencies of MP in final phase

[Aupmanyav]

7th phase of Indian elections over. 89 constituencies in 7 states. With that election in 438 constituencies out of 543 over, i.e., 81% of the election. Despite temperatures hovering around 105 F, there was up to 15% increase in voting. In the next two pahses, elections will be held in Andhra, Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar (mainly) on 7th and 12th May. Results on 16th may.

Political betting scene in India (Rate in Delhi/Rates in Mumbai to one Rupee): Modi 0.38/0.16, Rahul Gandhi 7.75/12, Mulayam Singh (Uttar Pradesh) 20/40, Mamta Bannerjee (Bengal) 20/40, Arvind Kejriwal 500/400.

In case BJP and allies do not get a clear majority and other do not accept Modi: Rajnath Singh 2.50, Mamta Bannerjee 6, Jayalalitha (Tamilnadu (12, Ram Bilas Paswan 18, Rahul Gandhi 20, Arvind Kejriwal 650.

[Aupmanyav]

The bodo (tribals of part of Assam state) extremists have killed 32 Bangladeshi immigrants. The violence is political and not communal. Here is a good description.

"Now, observe the political maneouvres which have been going on. Mohilary was angry with sitting MP SK Bwiswmutiary, who was denied a ticket in favour of another candidate from their party, the Bodo Peoples Front (BPF), state Transport Minister Chandan Brahma. Bwiswmutiary, publicly unhappy over this slight, put up his own candidature. So Pramila Rani Brahma, on her part angry over the MP's perceived insult of her brother, recently made a statement that the BPF candidate would have a tough time winning because the non-Bodos had consolidated behind Sarania. This raised the temperature between Bodo and non-Bodo groups.

It is the old, old Indian political game of vote banks and the bogey of minority (in this case majority) consolidation. Into this mix has entered the deadly arm of the National Democratic Front for Bodoland (Songbijit), the diehard anti-talks faction of the separatist militant group, which has sent in roving bands of hit quads and carved a swathe of death and arson in Kokrajhar and Baksa districts. The targets this time are alleged illegal Bangladeshis, while the targets by extension are other illegal Bangladeshis and Nepalese immigrants across BTAD (whose numbers, say Bodo leaders, has been rising exponentially). The NDFB prefers them gone and figured this would be a good time to escalate matters."
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/politicising-west-assam-violence-will-be-recipe-for-disaster/469337-3-251.html

[Aupmanyav]

Polling for 64 constituencies spread across seven states began at 7 a.m. today and will continue till 6 p.m. except in sensitive pockets of Bihar, where it will end at 4 p.m. The constituencies going to polls are in Andhra Pradesh (25), Bihar (7), Himachal Pradesh (4), Jammu and Kashmir (2), Uttar Pradesh (15), Uttarakhand (5) and West Bengal (6). There are a total of 1,737 candidates (mostly non-serious and trash. About 200 of them are really serious). 184 million people are eligible to vote in the 8th and penultimate round.

[Aupmanyav]

The BJP prime-ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi refused permission for three programs. Rally at Beniabagh, Varanasi, participation in Ganges aarti, and a conference with intellectuals. Offered a venue which can hold only 2000 people, when 200,000 gather to listen to him. There was a demonstration against it by BJP in Varanasi and Delhi today. Tomorrow, the Gandhi heir, Rahul, visits Varanasi for a show of his power.

[Aupmanyav]

Last and the ninth phase of Indian elections. 41 seats - Bengal 17, Uttar Pradesh 18, Bihar 7. 90 million voters. 606 candidates, 31,483 polling stations, 146,000 personnel. Already police firing in Bengal (tiff between the Communists and Trinamool Congress, the regional party). Today's election includes the most important seat, Varanasi, where BJP prime-ministerial candidate Narendra Modi faces a strong challenge from Arvind Kejriwal of AAP being supported by all other parties. Exit poll results will be available after voting is over today. I will participate in other topics after election results are announced on May 16.

[Aupmanyav]

Indian elections over (at last). NDTV exit poll results:

[Aupmanyav]

Narendra Modi's wife likes to read about him, confident of him becoming Prime Minister

According to a report carried by Indian Express, the retired school teacher Jashodaben, 62 was married to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi when she was 17 â€" and separated after about three years. They were never divorced and that she spends much of her time now in spiritual quest.

Mrs Modi, according to the Indian Express, gets a monthly pension of Rs14,000 (USD 233), and lives mostly with a brother and spends much of her time in prayer. In Ahmedabad to visit her extended family, she agreed to be interviewed by The Indian Express but refused to be photographed.

“We married when I was 17... I had quit studies once I went to his place and remember him saying he wanted me to pursue my education. He would mostly talk to me about completing my education. Initially he took interest in talking to me and even in the affairs of the kitchen,” said Jashodaben.

Asked if she was asked to keep a low profile, she said: “We have never been in touch and we parted on good terms as there were never any fights between us. I will not make up things that are not true. In three years, we may have been together for all of three months. There has been no communication from his end to this day.”

Mrs Modi said she reads everything that she can get on her husband and is confident about him becoming the Prime Minister of India.

Did Mr Modi tell her he was leaving her? “He told me once that ‘I will be travelling across the country and will go as and where I please; what will you do following me?’ When I came to Vadnagar to live with his family, he told me ‘why did you come to your in-laws’ house when you are still so young, you must instead focus on pursuing your studies.'

The decision to leave was my own and there was never any conflict between us. He never spoke to me about the RSS or about his political leanings. When he told me he would be moving around the country as he wished, I told him I would like to join him.

However, on many occasions when I went to my in-laws’ place, he would not be present and he stopped coming there. He used to spend a lot of time in RSS shakhas. So I too stopped going there after a point and I went back to my father's house.”

“I don't feel bad, because I know that he is doing so due to destiny and bad times. In such situations he has to say such things and also has to lie. I don't see my situation as being bad because I feel, in a way, my luck has improved too.”

[Aupmanyav]

10:15 am Narendra Modi-led BJP and its allies are set to sweep Lok Sabha polls 2014. BJP+ is ahead in 306 seats out of the 512 for which trends are available. The Congress is staring at its worst performance ever with the party ahead in less than 70 seats. Of the regional parties, Mamata's Trinamool Congress is leading in 30 of the total 42 seats in Bengal. In Uttar Pradesh, the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party are ahead in only 14 and 8 seats respectively.

[stromboli]

Narendra Modi the winner
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/15/india-election-2014_n_5334988.html