TEHRAN, Mar 10 - India's Election Commission announced Sunday that the upcoming national election will be held in seven phases in April and May, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Hindu nationalist party seeks a second term.
TEHRAN, Young Journalists Club (YJC) - About 900 million people are eligible to vote in a staggered process that allows the government to deploy tens of thousands of troops to prevent outbreaks of violence and the capture of voting stations by party activists.
Chief election commissioner Sunil Arora said the election will be held April 11, 18, 23 and 29, and May 6, 12 and 19. The votes will be counted May 23.
Modi's Bhartiya Janata Party, or BJP, hopes the government's recent tough stand against Pakistan will help it retain its popularity despite suffering a setback in December when it lost three key state elections to the opposition Congress party.
Indian aircraft crossed into Pakistan on Feb. 26, carrying out what India called a pre-emptive strike against militants blamed for a Feb. 14 suicide bombing in Indian-controlled Kashmir that killed 40 Indian troops. Pakistan retaliated, shooting down two Indian planes and capturing a pilot, Wing Cmdr. Abhinandan Varthaman, who was later returned to India.
Since then, Modi and BJP leaders have been projecting the party and its leaders as decisive and tough on national security. Opposition parties, however, have accused Modi and his party of using national security matters to try to influence voters.
On Saturday, the Election Commission ordered political parties to tell their candidates and leaders not to display photographs of defense personnel in advertisements as part of their election campaigns.
Source: AP
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