Bitterly fought India election campaign ends with conflicting visions

May 10, 2014 | By hromedia | Reply More

May 10, – campaigning in India’s bitterly fought election entered its last day Saturday ahead of next week’s final voting with the Hindu nationalist opposition already scenting victory.

Ruling Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi warned on Saturday of an India divided by caste and creed if the Hindu nationalist opposition wins power, as campaigning ended in the nation’s multi-stage election.

Mr Gandhi sought to muster a final show of Congress strength in the holy Hindu city of Varanasi with the party struggling to snatch victory from the jaws of a widely forecast election defeat by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Rahul Gandhi, heading the campaign of the ruling Congress party which is seen heading for a crushing defeat, sought to muster a final show of strength in the holy Hindu city Varanasi.

Varanasi is one of the last constituencies set to vote in Monday’s final leg of voting in the multi-phase election.

The city, on the sacred river Ganges, is being contested by Narendra Modi, tipped to lead the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) to power after a decade in opposition.

Gandhi, standing in an open garland-festooned truck, shook wellwishers’ hands under a scorching summer sun.

The broader national battle is between Congress and the BJP in the election, whose results are due next Friday.

But the media has depicted the Varanasi contest as a “David-and-Goliath” clash between anti-graft campaigner Arvind Kejriwal, leader of the upstart Aam Aadmi — Common Man — Party and Modi.

Kejriwal drew huge crowds when he told Varanasi voters Friday he was confident of “a huge majority” in the temple-studded city.

But the BJP predicted “a clear majority” nationally.

Top organiser Amit Shah said the electorate had supported the BJP “irrespective of caste (and) religion” as he sought to dispel notions Modi’s muscular Hindu nationalism was a stumbling block for voters.

Modi, 63, who has made myriad campaign stops — even appearing as a hologram to supporters, was also making a final whirlwind appeal to voters.

In the last days of the campaign, he has sought to cast off his polarising image and the BJP’s religion-based reputation, pushing an agenda of good governance and growth.

“I believe in one India, the best India,” said Modi, chief minister of thriving Gujarat state, who is popular among business and middle-class voters frustrated by a sharp economic slowdown, high inflation and corruption scandals.

Still, 12 years ago, few would have guessed Modi would be in line to be premier after riots swept Gujarat during his early time as chief minister, killing at least 1,000 people, most of them Muslims.

The BJP leader was never charged with wrongdoing but many critics charge that he did too little to stop the violence.

Press journalist for HRO media – Saurav Nag contributed to this report.