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2014 Indian general election

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Indian general election, 2014
← 2009 7 April – 12 May 2014
543 seats in the Lok Sabha
272 seats needed for a majority
Opinion polls
  File:Rahul Gandhi 1.jpg
Leader Rahul Gandhi Narendra Modi
Leader's seat
  • current Amethi  —
  • contesting Amethi Vadodara, Varanasi
Party INC BJP
Alliance UPA NDA
Last election 28.55%, 206 seats 18.80%, 116 seats
Incumbent Prime Minister

Manmohan Singh
INC



A general election is taking place in nine phases, the longest election in the country's history, from 7 April to 12 May 2014 to constitute the 16th Lok Sabha in India. Voting will take place in all 543 parliamentary constituencies of India to elect members of parliament in the Lok Sabha.[1] The result of this election will be declared on 16 May, before the 15th Lok Sabha completes its constitutional mandate on 31 May 2014.[2]

According to the Election Commission of India, the electoral population in 2014 is 81.45 crores, the largest in the world.[3] There is an increase of 10 crores(100 million) newly eligible voters.[4] This also will be the longest and the most expensive general election in the history of the country with the Election Commission of India estimating that the election will cost the exchequer ₹ 35 billion, excluding the expenses incurred for security and individual political parties.[5] Parties are expected to spend ₹ 30 thousand crores (₹ 300 billion, about US$5 billion) in the election, according to the Centre for Media Studies. This is three times the amount spent in the previous election and is the world's second highest after the US$7 billion spent on the 2012 U.S. presidential election.[6] Though unelected, incumbent Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has ruled himself out as a prime ministerial candidate.[7]

Background

By constitutional requirement, elections to the Lok Sabha must be held at most every five years or whenever parliament is dissolved by the president. The previous election, to the 15th Lok Sabha, was conducted in April–May 2009, and its term will naturally expire on 31 May 2014. The election is being organised and conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) and are normally held in multiple phases, to better handle the large electoral base and security concerns.

Since the last general election in 2009, the 2011 Indian anti-corruption movement by Anna Hazare, and other similar moves by Baba Ramdev, have gathered momentum and political interest.[8] The BJP also made inroads by winning a majority of the Vidhan Sabha in the Goa election and winning despite a tradition of anti-incumbency in Punjab. However, it lost governing in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and its southern bastion of Karnataka to the INC. It also failed in its having its nominated candidate with the 2012 presidential election, particularly because allies such as the Shiv Sena and Janata Dal (United) failed to follow coalition lines. Similarly, the Telangana movement for a separate Telangana from Andhra Pradesh also continued with agitations, including the initial central government decision to grant statehood and then rescind it after counter-protests. The move was accompanied by calls for other separate areas including Vidharba and Gorkhaland. Andhra politics was further shaken following death of its chief minister, Y. S. R. Reddy. His son, Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy, then broke from the INC and founded the YSR Congress taking several politicians with him.

On 8 December 2013, four legislative assembly elections resulted in victories or pluralities for the BJP in all provinces. The BJP won Rajasthan from the INC, it won a plurality in the INC bastion of Delhi (where there was a hung assembly) and held on to Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. The BJP's prime ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi, was generally credited in the media for the result.[9][10] However, in Madhya Pradesh the party's national vice-president and MP Prabhat Jha said of the Muslim vote: "Definitely they voted for us. More than 70% of the Muslim voters backed BJP's programmes and policies." Indore's Qazi Abdul Rehman Farooqui suggested that it was Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan that ensured the result was an even bigger BJP majority saying that "had Modi not been projected as the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, Chouhan would have got more votes."[11] The BJP's Arun Jaitley suggested the INC-led UPA government was now a lame duck.[12]

Organisation

Election dates of Indian general election, 2014

Use of technology

In January 2013, the Election Commission of India announced that it would be using an SMS based alert system called Communication Plan for Election (COMET) during the election. The system, aimed at sending messages to lakhs of government officials on election duty, was successfully deployed in the provincial assembly elections in Goa, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Manipur in early 2012 and in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat in late 2012.

The COMET system "uses coded text messages through mobile phones to collect data about officials, information about scheduled events like staff reaching the polling station, mock polls conducted, start of polling, voting percentages every two hours, number of voters in after voting time was over, and whether the poll party reached safely at the high security Electronic Voting Machine (EVMs) deposit centre." The system would also send alerts to the local police in case of disturbances at any polling station.[13]

Changes

Satendra Singh, a doctor with a disabilty,[14] showed the lack of preparedness by the Election Commission of India (ECI) towards electors with disabilities through the Right to Information Act .[15] The Chief Electoral Office in Delhi, Vijay Dev then started a campaign on providing accessibility for the disabled, along with him. Singh conducted sensitisation workshops for election officers and helped in setting up a registration link for voters with disabilities to register to vote and provide their requirements.[16]

Dates

The election will be held over multiple phases during the months April and May.[17] The final session of parliament started on 6 February and ended on 21 February. Amongst the agenda in the final session is passing the The Lokpal and Lokayuktas Bill, 2013 in tackling corruption and the creation of Telegana.[18] Electoral Commissioner V. S. Sampath said that Tamil Nadu could vote in one phase, while also considering DMK's proposal to transfer Tamil Nadu Deputy General of Police K. Ramanujam, who is serving as extended terms after his superannuation to ensure a free and fair election.[19]

Simulataneously, elections will be held for the Vidhan Sabhas of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Sikkim.[20]

The Chief Election Commissioner of India (CEC), V. S. Sampath announced the polling schedule on 5 March with voting to be held in nine phases from 7 April to 12 May. The result of the election will be announced on 16 May.[21]

Schedule

  Polling held   Polling ongoing   Polling to be held

Region Total constituencies Election dates and number of constituencies[22]
  • Phase 1
  • 7 April 2014
  • Phase 2
  • 9 April 2014
  • Phase 3
  • 10 April 2014
  • Phase 4
  • 12 April 2014
  • Phase 5
  • 17 April 2014
  • Phase 6
  • 24 April 2014
  • Phase 7
  • 30 April 2014
  • Phase 8
  • 7 May 2014
  • Phase 9
  • 12 May 2014
Progress 6 6 + 1* 91 7 121 117 89 64 41
Andhra Pradesh 42 – – – – – – 17 25 –
Arunachal Pradesh 2 – 2 – – – – – – –
Assam 14 5 – – 3 – 6 – – –
Bihar 40 – – 6 – 7 7 7 7 6
Chhattisgarh 11 – – 1 – 3 7 – – –
Goa 2 – – – 2 – – – – –
Gujarat 26 – – – – – – 26 – –
Haryana 10 – – 10 – – – – – –
Himachal Pradesh 4 – – – – – – – 4 –
Jammu & Kashmir 6 – – 1 – 1 1 1 2 –
Jharkhand 14 – – 4 – 6 4 – – –
Karnataka 28 – – – – 28 – – – –
Kerala 20 – – 20 – – – – – –
Madhya Pradesh 29 – – 9 – 10 10 – – –
Maharashtra 48 – – 10 – 19 19 – – –
Manipur 2 – 1 – – 1 – – – –
Meghalaya 2 – 2 – – – – – – –
Mizoram 1 – 1* – – – – – – –
Nagaland 1 – 1 – – – – – – –
Odisha 21 – – 10 – 11 – – – –
Punjab 13 – – – – – – 13 – –
Rajasthan 25 – – – – 20 5 – – –
Sikkim 1 – – – 1 – – – – –
Tamil Nadu 39 – – – – – 39 – – –
Tripura 2 1 – – 1 – – – – –
Uttar Pradesh 80 – – 10 – 11 12 14 15 18
Uttarakhand 5 – – – – – – – 5 –
West Bengal 42 – – – – 4 6 9 6 17
Andaman and Nicobar Islands 1 – – 1 – – – – – –
Chandigarh 1 – – 1 – – – – – –
Dadra and Nagar Haveli 1 – – – – – – 1 – –
Daman and Diu 1 – – – – – – 1 – –
Lakshadweep 1 – – 1 – – – – – –
National Capital Territory of Delhi 7 – – 7 – – – – – –
Puducherry 1 – – – – – 1 – – –
Constituencies contested 543 6 6 + 1* 91 7 121 117 89 64 41
Total constituencies
completing polling
by this phase end		 6 13* 104 111 232 349 438 502 543

* The Election Commission of India deferred the voting date in Mizoram to 11 April.[23]

Retiring Loksabha MPs

MP Constituency Party Notes
Palaniappan Chidambaram Sivaganga, Tamil Nadu INC His son, Karti P. Chidambaram, will contest his seat;[24] he will seek nomination to the Rajya Sabha[25]
Khagen Das Tripura West, Tripura CPI(M) Old age[26]
Badri Ram Jakhar Pali, Rajasthan INC His daughter, Munni Devi Godara, will run from his seat.[27]
Kailash Chandra Joshi Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh BJP Old age.[28]
Suresh Kalmadi Pune, Maharashtra INC The party denied him the ticket over allegations of corrpution for his handling of the 2010 Commonwealh Games.[29]
Ram Singh Kaswan Churu, Rajasthan BJP His son, Rahul Kaswan, will run from his seat.[30]
Sharad Pawar Baramati, Maharashtra NCP After the 2009 election, Pawar announced that would be the last election in public life. He also explainied a desire for a younger generation of leaders to emerge. Instead he will seek nomination to the Rajya Sabha from Maharashtra.[original research?]
Baju Ban Riyan Tripura East, Tripura CPI(M) Old age.[26]
Navjot Singh Sidhu Amritsar, Punjab BJP Amidst controversy[31]
Yashwant Sinha Hazaribagh, Jharkand BJP His son, Jayant Sinha, will contest his seat;[25]
Lalji Tandon Luckow, Uttar Pradesh BJP BJP President Rajnath Singh was declared the BJP candidate from the seat. While BJP officials expressed willingness to accommodate Tandon from another Uttar Pradesh constituency, he refused to run stating it would be either his current seat of Lucknow or none. BJP officials pointed to Tandon's likely nomination to the Rajya Sabha from Uttar Pradesh.[citation needed]
Manish Tiwari Ludhiana, Punjab INC After initial speculation that Tiwari would not contest re-election from Ludhiana given the competitive nature of the constituency and a general mood of anti-incumbency, Tiwari declared that he would not run for any seat due to health reasons. However, there is expectation that he will be nominated for the Rajya Sabha from Punjab.[citation needed]
Laxman Tudu Mayurbhanj, Odisha BJD The party denied him a ticket.[32]
Gurudas Dasgupta Ghatal, West Bengal CPI Old age.[33]

Campaign

Further information: Campaigning in the Indian general election, 2014

Social media played an increasing role in the election.[34] In regards to the 2013 Muzaffarnagar riots, communalism played a role in the election.[35]

Issues

Important issues during the campaign included rising prices, corruption, the economy, security, infrastructure such as roads, electricity and water. In a survey[by whom?] for about 14% of people corruption is the main issue of the election.[36]

Economy

Bloomberg also highlighted India's slowing economy amidst a record high current account deficit and a falling rupee in summer 2013. It pointed out to a lack of infrastructure investment and a government increasingly likely to give subsidies the national finances cannot afford just before the election. Other points it mentioned were stagnant policymaking and an inefficient bureaucracy.[37] The economy was the main issue in the campaign.[38] The lack of a clear mandate as a result of the election could lead to an increase in the price of gold in the country.[39][40] Modi also brought up the issue of farmer suicides that resulted from high debt and poor yield on their crops.[41]

Price rise

The price of onions, a staple in Indian cuisine, also faces a dramatic price increase.[42] In the lead up to the election, consumer price inflation increased more than expected while, paradoxically, industrial production fell by more than expected causing a dilemma amid slowing growth.[43] The price of salt was also indicative of general food inflation.[44]

Telangana

On 30 July 2013, the Congress Working Committee unanimously passed a resolution for the creation of Telangana. It formally requested the INC-led central government to make steps in accordance with the constitution of India for the bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh and the re-creation of Telangana. This was seen as an attempt by the INC to merge the Telangana Rashtra Samiti into itself for the general and provincial election after being marginalised in the Rayalseema and coastal regions by the YSR Congress. All-India Congress Committee general secretary for Andhra Pradesh Digvijay Singh said that TRS leader K. Chandrashekhar Rao had "repeatedly said that once Telangana was announced, he would merge his party with the Congress. We will await his decision and will be favourably inclined to accept the offer of a merger."[45] TRS welcomed the decision, with Rao saying that his party was fine with Hyderabad being the joint capital for 10 years;[46] Ongole was then suggested as the new capital of Andhra Pradesh.[47] YSR Congress party leader Jaganmohan Reddy said that he opposed the decision and would agitate against it,[48] as all its MLAs resigned over the issue.[49] However, former party member Konda Surekha attacked the party and its leader saying that he had backtracked on plenary party meeting supporting the issue.[50] Andhra Pradesh BJP president G. Kishan Reddy gave credit for the move to Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in saying that the INC took active interest in the issue after Modi had announced a tour to Hyderabad for 11 August.[51] The BJP national spokesperson Prakash Javadekar suggested that the INC move was under pressure and "that's why we will watch carefully and see whether the intention again to backstab or to really give Telangana, and will watch till Telangana is formed."[52] He added that the BJP supports the creation of "Telangana and Vidarbha's demand. [The] announcement is the victory of the people of Telangana. BJP has always been in favour of Telangana. Congress promised it in 2004 but dilly-dallied for nine years. It has been a story of the struggle of the people of Telangana and nine years of betrayal by the Congress. The NDA's agenda in 1999 promised creation of three states, and it was honoured. The Congress, in contrast, made a promise in 2004 but betrayed people for nine years." BJP national President Rajnath Singh re-iterated support and added, in regards to requests for the creation of Gorkhaland and Bodoland, "We were in favour of the Second States Reorganisation Commission earlier too. We now demand that the government should set it up and seek a report within a specific timeframe.[53] The Gorkha Janmukti Morcha also reacted in announcing an indefinite strike in calling for Gorkhaland.[54] Meanwhile, the national Home Ministry said that due to the lack of development in the proposed areas and the proximity to other hotbeds in Chhattishgarh's Bastar and Maharashtra's Gadchiroli regions it could turn into a hotbed for the activities of the banned Communist Party of India (Maoist) if the administration is not quickly consolidated.[55] In February, Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh Kiran Kumar Reddy resigned over the proposal to partition the region. He would launch the Samaikyandhra party on 2 March. Three of his cabinet colleagues – Erasu Pratap Reddy, T. G. Venkatesh and Ganta Srinivasa Rao – were set to join the Telugu Desam Party. Further, Satrucharla Vijaya Rama Raju quit the INC and was considering a similar move.[56] Men's rights organisations have submitted their demands to all major[which?] political parties under a "Men-ifesto."[57] to press their demand for gender equal laws.

Celebrity candidates

As is customary, token celebrity candidates from non-political spheres were nominated in the election. These included: Mohammad Kaif (INC), Ravi Kishan (INC), Nandan Nilekani (INC), Gul Panag (AAP), Moon Moon Sen (TMC), Dev (TMC), Bhaichung Bhutia (TMC), Biswajit Chatterjee (TMC), Indranil Sen (TMC), Paresh Rawal (BJP), Kirron Kher (BJP), P. C. Sorcar, Jr. (BJP), Babul Supriyo (BJP), Pawan Kalyan (JSP)[58] Kamaal Rashid Khan (Samajwadi), Mahesh Manjrekar (MNS), Rakhi Sawant (Rashtriya Aam Party),[59] Jaaved Jaaferi (AAP),[60]Bappi Lahiri (BJP),[61] General Vijay Kumar Singh (BJP),[citation needed] and Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore.

Parties and alliances

National Democratic Alliance

Further information: List of National Democratic Alliance candidates in the Indian general election, 2014

The constituents of the National Democratic Alliance and the seats they are contesting are:[62][63][64][65][66]

Bharatiya Janata Party

File:Narendra Modi in BJP National Executive Meet in Goa.jpg
Modi (fifth from the left) and other BJP leaders after the party's National Executive Meet. Modi was named the chairman of Central Election Campaign Committee during this meet.
Main article: Bharatiya Janata Party campaign for Indian general election, 2014
Organisation

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was chosen to lead the Bharatiya Janata Party's campaign after a party conclave in Goa.[67][68] This came amid controversy Lal Krishna Advani opposed the decision and resigned from his party posts, only to later rescind his resignation.[69] Murli Manohar Joshi and Sushma Swaraj were part of team for the campaign. Rajnath Singh, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and Lal Krishna Advani were the mentors for the BJP's campaign.[70] A 12-member committee,[who?] led by Modi, was appointed at the Goa conclave which included M. Venkaiah Naidu, Nitin Gadkari, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Chattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh and Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar. Twenty sub-committees assists the main committee with focus on such aspects of electioneering, including rallies, publicity, manifesto, social media, courting first time voters, "crowd sourcing" and a "charge-sheet" against the UPA. BJP general secretary Ananth Kumar said that all the sub-committees will be led by Modi for the election.Gadkari was given responsibility for the Delhi legislative assembly election, 2013 along with assistance of Amritsar MP Navjot Singh Sidhu.

The sub-committees are composed of the following:[71]

The manifesto committee, led by Murli Manohar Joshi, includes Darjeeling MP Jaswant Singh, MP Yashwant Sinha, former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, Sushil Kumar Modi, Shahnawaz Hussain and others. A vision document released with the manifesto was prepared by Gadkari and Vinay Sahasrabuddhe.

The publicity management is led by Swaraj and Arun Jaitley with the aid of general secretary Amit Shah and Sudanshu Trivedi. The first time voters, about 20 percent of the electorate, are managed by Shah, Sidhu and two others. The programme to reach out to professionals is being organised by Rajiv Pratap Rudy, Prakash Javadekar and others. Crowd sourcing is managed by Dharmendra Pradhan and Rameshwar Chaurasia. Other sub-committees include a team for traditional campaigns composed of Smriti Irani and two others.

The "charge-sheet" against the "misrule" of the UPA in the central government and the regions, is managed by Deputy Leader of BJP in Lok Sabha Gopinath Munde, his Rajya Sabha counterpart MP Ravi Shankar Prasad and four others. Other campaign support teams – many of whose leaders are members of the Sangh Parivar – are led by Gadkari, Uma Bharati and five others. Starting August 2013, the party organised over 100 rallies, planned and executed by Ananth Kumar and Varun Gandhi.

Campaign and issues

BJP's Mumbai leader, Ashish Shelar, kicked of campaign advertisements in the city with Modi's remarks in a summer 2013 interview with Reuters in which he said "I am a Hindu Nationalist."[72] He stated that the coalition partners would come in as development would be the key issue and not Ram Janmabhoomi.[73]

In the last weekend in September, Modi spoke to a rally of more than 200,000 people in New Delhi at a Japanese Park rally (unusual for a non-INC rally) following a rally of 500,000 in Bhopal. slogan was "Badlo Dilli" (Hindi for 'Change Delhi') in reference to the national election and the Delhi assembly election. He also controversially referred to the INC's Rahul Gandhi as "Shahzada" (Urdu/Hindi for 'prince') in reference to the INC's dynastic leadership and democracy. His speech included four parts: targeting Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit's three terms in office as a mere ceremonial role and her role in the corruption-tainted 2010 Commonwealth Games that he said squandered a chance to bring honour to the country; the "cult of corruption" and that the UPA's affection for Mohandas Gandhi entailed merely collecting big currency notes that bear his photo; thirdly, he focused on corruption, misgovernance and the subsequent policy paralysis of the UPA government; and lastly, he focused on individuals in the democratic setup of the BJP as opposed to the dynastic role of the INC. With his development credentials in Gujarat, he referenced the rise of the Gujarati middle class of six crores people as a potential for how Indians can develop with the rise of 1.25 billion people.[74] Many in the business community also support his candidature.[75][76] Modi and Jaitley hosted a meet with -leaning economists, business leaders, bankers and investors in discussions of how to raise growth. Ravi Shankar Prasad also said that there was a "profound yearning for change" and the UPA's poor leadership led to the current economic "disaster." Incumbent INC Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram retorted that what Modi knows about economics "can be written on the back of a postage stamp."[38] Modi told a rally in U.P. on 6 February that the outcome of the election had been decided by the people in that a "Congress-free India will be a reality." The director of the opinion polling agency CSDS, Sanjay Kumar, suggested that it was "not a presidential race — it is a referendum on Modi."[76]

Modi will contest from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh [77] The sizeable Muslim minority population were viewed by the media as an important voter target and the BJP's minority cell leader Salim Mohommad was partaking in campaigning.[78] and Vadodara in Gujarat.[79] Advani wanted to contest from Bhopal but later agreed to contest again from his incumbent seat Gandhinagar.[80] He had also rejected a proposal to be appointed to the Rajya Sabha in favour of running in the election.[81] Advani was given the Gandhinagar seat because Modi wanted him to compete from Gujarat, according to Rajnath Singh.[82] An INC strategist also said that if Modi contested from two constituencies, he may not win the Varanasi vote on speculation voters would be concerned he would relinquish his Varanasi seat if he wins both, as required. Unnamed party leaders also suggested that Modi could otherwise only be beaten by two options in Varanasi: fielding either Priyanka Gandhi or Sachin Tendulkar; or rallying other parties behind Kejriwal. The INC's original candidate from the constituency was Ajai Rai, but there were reconsiderations. INC spokesman Randeep Surjewala said: "BJP president Rajnath Singh ran away from Ghaziabad when we announced Raj Babbar as our candidate. Don't be surprised if the same happens in Varanasi."[83] Jaitley will contest for the Lok Sabha for the first time (having previously been a Rajya Sabha member)[31] from Amritsar against former Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, though the latter preferred to be replaced by a local candidate.[84] The move was controversial as incumbent MP from Amritsar Navjot Singh Sidhu was unhappy in not being allocated the constituency. Yet he said that as Jaitley was his "guru" he would accept the decision, but would not run from any other constituency. His wife, BJP MLA from Amritsar East Navjot Kaur, welcomed Jaitley to the city.[31] The reason for not allocating the ticket to Sidhu was said to be because of his spat with the Shiromani Akali Dal Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal and party President Sukhbir Singh Badal, as well as other BJP personnel.[85] Likewise, Jaswant Singh was reported to be seeking a seat from his native Barmer, Rajasthan and has threatened to leave the party and run as an independent if this did not happen,[25] this occurred in the previous election when he was instead given the ticket from Darjeeling.[citation needed] On 21 March, he filed his nomination papers as an independent candidate from Barmer.[86] Instead, former INC members Colonel Sonaram Choudhary was the BJP candidate from the constituency. Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje spoke at his nomination in saying to Singh: "A family is a family and we have to be together. Don't leave the party, please accept what the party does."[87] Meanwhile, Samajwadi's Azam Khan invited Singh to join the party.[88] Rajnath Singh said the party would field "strong" candidates against Sonia and Rahul Gandhi in Rae Bareilly and Amethi, respectively, and that other parties, such as the SP, would change candidates list in response.[89]

Gujarat Parivartan Party, which was formed by former BJP chief minister Keshubhai Patel, was [90] merged with BJP strengthening its position in Gujarat.[91][92] The Himachel Pradesh BJP attacked the UPA's "one rank, one pension" scheme as an "election stunt," according to the covnenor of the BJP's ex-servicemen cell, Brigadier (Retired) Lal Chand Jaswal. The move follows the BJP demand on the issue for a previous few years and Modi's announcement at an ex-servicemen's rally at Rewari on 15 September 2013 and at Sujanpur on 17 February.[93] Rajnath Singh said that with the pre-poll alliance finalised the NDA could win about 300 seats, giving them an absolute majority. He added that "a momentum of support is increasing day by day due to the failure of the Congress-led government on every front and the tremendous popularity of Narendra Modi." He further noted that if the alliance was in power it would target 10% annual GDP growth and would increase investments in infrastructure, manufacturing and skill development programmes to create several crores jobs while encouraging a culture of entrepreneurship.[94] Former Finance Minister Yashwant Sinha criticised the incumbent Chidambaram in saying that he had a "habit that he will get a strong economy, and he will ruin it before he leaves... Shri Chidambaram will be remembered in history as a spoiler, as someone who specialises in sub-five per cent growth rate, for his hubris, arrogance."[95] Modi also criticised the INC and Rahul Gandhi for giving a ticket to former Maharashtra Chief Minister Ashok Chavan despite his indictment in the Adarsh Housing Society scam in Mumbai.[96] He further criticised Gandhi's disparaging comments about governence in his home region of Gujarat at rally in Bijapur: "If you think Gujarat model is a balloon, I want to ask if you trust your mother. The Rajiv Gandhi Foundation, headed by your mother, had declared Gujarat number one. Do you see a balloon in your mother's talk? Does your mother also release balloons?"[97] At a rally in Gurgaon, Haryana, part of the wider National Capital Region, Modi said: "People gave ruling Congress 60 years, I just need 60 months to prove that the BJP is the best option for India" and allaged that the INC was protecting Robert Vadra, the son-in-law of Sonia Gandhi, after he was said to have "sold farmers" and made money. "Robert Vadra's empty bank account was credited with $8.30m (Rs 500 million) in just three months. BJP wanted answers." He was campaigning for former INC MP Rao Inderjit Singh who switched parties for the election and will run against the AAP's Yogendra Yadav.[98] He also criticised the INC's Nandan Nilekani as he had "squandered crores of rupees in giving a unique identity (Aadhaar) to millions of people, which even the Supreme Court questioned, as it did not address the security concerns."[99]

Amongst social media individuals came up with satirical takes on sports, movies (in Hindi and English) and songs, amongst other things, in support of the BJP campaign slogan that were premised on "Aab ki baar, Modi sarkar" ([Whatever it may be...This time, [we will have a] Modi government]).[100] In turn the AAP, mocked the campaign with its own posters.[101] Modi was noted for targeting, in his rallies across the country, 23 million first-time come-of-age voters.[102]

In regards to foreign relations of India, Modi told a rally in Arunachel Pradesh, bordering China with a history of disputes, that "I swear in the name of the soil that I will protect this country.[103] and he criticised "Chinese expansionism."[104] He is viewed as leaning in foreign policy to East Asia where he has visited China, Singapore and Japan as chief minister. The latter's leader, ppShinzo Abe]], was said to be close to him.[105] He is also known for his close ties with Israel.[106] He also said the Ministry of External Affairs needed to move beyond filing reports and that diplomats ought to be more active on issues like trade facilitation and promoting Indian business abroad.[107] He further called for a greater role for the regional provinces in foreign affairs.[108]

Goa Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar said that a "pro-incumbency" would enable the BJP to win both the regional seats. He also attributed the "Modi factor" as one of the drivers for the election but added "that does not mean that the party or other factors do not count. Personality is one factor that will finally lead you to victory." The resulting two seats for the BJP that he had asserted would be an acknowledgement on the performance of his government since the Goa legislative assembly election, 2012 and that the UPA government had been trying to "consistently damage and purposely harass [the Goa government]. They are trying to put spokes in the functioning of the government. Congress' main perception is viciousness."[109]

In Srinagar, a claim was made by Arif Pampori that he was the candidate for the seat but had quit after the party manifesto called for abrogating Article 370 of the constitution of India (which accords Jammu and Kashmir special status), construction of a Ram Mandir at the site of the former Babri Masjid and a Uniform Civil Code. BJP vice president in-charge of Kashmir, Ramesh Arora, then said the party withdrew his nomination on charges of indiscipline. Fayaz Ahmad Bhat then filed his nomination before the deputy commissioner of Srinagar for the Srinagar-Budgam seat. He added: "I never approached the BJP high command. I had contested on a BJP ticket in 1999. It was the high command's decision to field me from Srinagar."[110] He also refuted Pampori's claim, saying, instead, "Some people get disappointed at not getting [a] mandate. Senior party leaders approved my name in Delhi and I filed the nomination papers."[111]

Lok Janshakti Party

Lok Janshakti Party leader Ram Vilas Paswan announced on 30 January that the RJD, LJP and INC would jointly run for office from Bihar's constituencies. "Now the talks among the three parties are only about the number of seats each of us will contest."[112] Paswan then announced on 27 February that he was instead joining the NDA. LJP would contest for seats alone with the BJP and Rashtriya Lok Samata Party with 30 seats for BJP, three seats for RLSP and seven seats for LJP.[113]

Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam

Desiya Murpokku Dravida Kazhagam(DMDK), led by Tamil film actor Vijayakanth, joined the NDA in February.[114]

Lok Satta Party

On 10 April, while campaigning in Telengana, Jayaprakash Narayan of the Lok Satta Party stated that while his party had a few differences of opinion with the BJP manifesto, they had decided to support the NDA in the "national interest."[115]

Shiv Sena, Swabhimani Paksha and Rashtriya Samaj Paksha

The Swabhimani Paksha (SWP) a political party of Swabhimani Shetkari Saghtana (SSS) joined the Shiv Sena-BJP-Republican Party of India (Athvale) alliance in February. The SSS, which represents the interests of farmers in western Maharashtra was offered two seats – Madha in Solapur, where NCP leader Sharad Pawar sits, and Hathkanangale, the seat of SSS leader Raju Shetti. Shetti had also sought Baramati but this was rejected by the Shiv Sena and BJP, who decided to leave a seat each from their quotas of 22 and 26 to accommodate SSS.[116] Rashtriya Samaj Paksha also joined the alliance in January.[117] In addition to the aforemention four parties that are contesting from Maharashtra, RSP is also in the alliance.[118]

Telugu Desam Party

As a result of the Telangana imbroglio, the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) was reluctant to ally itself with former NDA ally, the BJP, in Seemandhra, due to angst against the BJP for having supported the Telangana Bill. In like measure, the BJP was cautious because being affiliated with the TDP and its leader Chandrababu Naidu could be perceived as being anti-Telangana. Other positive factors for an alliance are: the TDP's presence in Other Backward Class (OBC) and Telangana villages is strong, The "Modi factor" could help the TDP, the two could ally with the Telangana Rasthra Samiti to form a post-election regional government should they fall short by themselves and both the TDP and BJP want to avoid strategic vote splitting and a possible vaccuum in the TDP in Telangana, which could be consolidated by the next election in 2019.[119]

After three weeks of discussions, the TDP and the BJP announced their alliance on 6 April for the general and legislative assembly elections in Telangana and Seemandhra. Chandrababu Naidu declared that BJP would contest in five of the 25 seats in Seemandhra and eight out of 17 seats in Telangana.[120][121]

United Progressive Alliance

Further information: List of United Progressive Alliance candidates in the Indian general election, 2014

The constituents of the United Progressive Alliance are: [122][123][124] [125] [126] [127] [128]


In March, the INC, RJD and NCP announced that they would jointly contest the Bihar constituencies. The INC would seek 12 seats, the NCP 1 seat and the RJD, as the regional party, would seek the other 27 seats.[129]

Indian National Congress

The Indian National Congress had announced, on the fourth anniversary of the second United Progressive Alliance government, that its campaign for the election would be led by incumbent Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, INC chairperson Sonia Gandhi and general secretary Rahul Gandhi. Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari said: "The government and the party have decided while Singh is the PM and Sonia is the Congress chief, Rahul Gandhi has energised the party cadre. So the 2014 elections would be fought under the leadership of the triumvirate."[130] Rahul Gandhi was appointed to head a six-member committee to formulate and implement alliances, the party manifesto and general publicity for the election.[131]

In response to sagging opinion poll numbers for the general election, the INC sought to fast-track a decision on separating Telangana from Andhra Pradesh, create a coalition government with the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and the Rashtriya Janata Dal in Jharkhand, sought to take credit for the Food Security Bill and passing Land Acquisition Bill.[132]

Rahul Gandhi criticised a UPA government ordinance that would allow convicted politicians to contest elections. "I tell you what my opinion on the ordinance is: That it is complete nonsense. It should be torn up and thrown away. That's my opinion. The arguments that are being made in my organisation is that we need to do this because of political considerations. Everybody does this."[133] Following the presence of Gandhi's sister, Priyanka Gandhi, at a party meeting speculation arose as to her participation in the election. The party's Janardhan Dwivedi reacted in saying that she was merely a member of a political family and was taking care of Rahul Gandhi's Amethi constituency, from where he will be contesting the election[134] and her mother Sonia Gandhi's Rae Bareli constituencies. BJP's Smriti Irani and AAP's Kumar Vishwas are contesting from Amethi and will give some tough competition to Rahul Gandhi. The BJP's spokesman Sudhanshu Trivedi said that her presence in the election would not affect the INC's chances.

Incumbent Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said that he would not return to his role should the INC get a majority or plurality.[135] Less than a week prior to the All-India Congress Committee meeting on 17 January, which is expected to name Gandhi as its prime ministerial candidate, Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said that he would be "happy" to see Nationalist Congress Party President Sharad Pawar as prime minister.[136] Gandhi told Dainik Bhaskar that he was "ready to take charge" of any responsibility the party gave him and he added that: "My focus for India is a long term vision, where all Indians are treated with equality, respect and are given equal opportunities."[137] At the party meeting it was decided not to name a prime ministerial candidate amid fears it would turn the election into a presidential one. This was criticised by the BJP. Gandhi would instead lead the party's campaign.[138] He also called the election a turning point.[139] Sonia Gandhi then said the party will face upcoming challenges and the election with a "lot of determination;" she added that the election would be a battle for India. "Divisive forces are stretching social fabric to breaking point. Opposition's way is to spread disharmony. There's a face hidden behind the mask of compassion."[140]

In January, in an interview with Arnab Goswami, Gandhi admitted that some Congress members may have been involved in the 1984 riots and further stated that Modi's government was responsible for pushing the 2002 riots while the Congress government in 1984 tried to stop the anti Sikh riots.[141] Fellow UPA member, Praful Patel said that the 2002 matter should be put to rest.[142] As Gandhi was reported to have sought an early declaration of the party's candidates, the INC was scheduled to hold its first meeting of the central election committee on 13 February to finalise all their candidates by the end of the month. Similarly, the screening committees for several unnamed part of the country had already occurred so as to shortlist the candidates.[143] On 8 March, its list of 194 candidates was announced, including 35% of candidates that were below the age of 50 years.[144]

The INC dismissed the opinion polls pointing to a NDA plurality as misleading and partisan.[94] In its manifesto the party promised "inclusive growth" and that it would initiate a raft of welfare schemes, including a right to healthcare for all and pensions for the aged and disabled.[145] Manmohan Singh, Sonia and Rahul Gandhi's INC campaigning included scheduled stops in Orissa[146] and, on 20 April, in Maharashtra prior to the third phase.[147] Sonia Gandhi criticised the opposition, in particular the BJP, at a rally in Assam:[148]

The opposition, particularly the BJP, are going round the country indulging in big talk but what did their government do when they were in power at the Centre? There is a big difference between talking and working. We have fulfilled almost all promises made in the 2009 manifesto. We will do the same with the 2014 manifesto and we need your support for this. We do not make false promises. What we promise, we deliver. The Congress believes in Har Haath Shakti, Har Haath Tarakki (Each hand is power, each hand is progress). Congress workers in Assam and other places have been sacrificing their lives for the country before independence and even after the country became free, it is they who are engaged in nation-building. Where was the BJP and others then? There was no sign of the opposition either before or after independence. They are just engaged in division of the country. The Congress has strengthened the country's Ganga-Jamuna culture but the BJP instead of strengthening it, is all out to weaken the country.

Likewise, Rahul Gandhi told a rally in Chandigarh that Modi would "divide the nation into pieces, and make people fight against each other."[149]

During the election, former prime ministerial aide Sanjaya Baru published "The Accidental Prime Minister: The Making and Unmaking of Manmohan Singh" in which he criticized Singh as not being fully in charge of his government in having to compete with the dynastic INC leader, Sonia Gandhi, for influence within his own cabinet. Singh's office retorted in saying it "smacks of fiction and coloured views of a former adviser."[150] After Baru said "it is no secret that Sonia Gandhi was the super prime minister," Priyanka Gandhi replied "I think Manmohan Singh ji [sic] is the super PM."[151]

Nationalist Congress Party

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) is in alliance with the INC in the states of Maharashtra, Goa and Bihar.[152][153][154]

Rashtriya Janata Dal

Rashtriya Janata Dal leader Lalu Prasad Yadav said of the BJP's ruling chances that "Modi and Advani can never become the prime minister in their lifetime. Secular forces in this country would never allow the saffron outfit to come to power." In relation to the INC's Rahul Gandhi he said that Gandhi wants to bring change to the country; he added in relation to Digvijay Singh that he was a "good man."[125]

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) will contest polls in alliance with INC and RJD in Jharkhand.[126] JMM and INC will contest in four and ten seats each, respectively.JMM leader Shibu Soren will run from Dumka,[155] while the other three party's seats could come from Rajmahal, Giridih and the purpose-built city of Jamshedpur.

Third Front

Fourteen political parties including the Communist Party of India, Communist Party of India, Revolutionary Socialist Party, All India Forward Bloc,[156] AIADMK, Janata Dal, Samajwadi Party, Biju Janata Dal, Nationalist Congress Party, Janata Dal, Naga People's Front, Sikkim Democratic Front, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha and Bharipa Bahujan Mahasangh participated in a convention of the parties not in alliance with the NDA nor UPA, which was held on 30 October 2013.[157] On 5 February, 11 parties announced that they would work as one bloc on a "common agenda" in parliament. These included the CPIM, CPI, RSP, AIFB, Samajwadi Party, JD(U), AIADMK, Asom Gana Parishad, Jharkhand Vikas Morcha, JD(S) and Biju Janata Dal.[158] However AGP and BJD were still in the preparatory talks stage as they were in discussions with the BJP to re-join the NDA.[159] A consensus on a prime ministerial candidate, however, was not achieved.[160]

Though CPI (M) has sought to build what it terms a "secular and democratic alternative" to the INC and BJP, General Secretary Prakash Karat discarded the notion that these moves would result in a Third Front electoral alliance.[161] He also suggested a possible Third Front would only emerge after the election.[162]

Samajwadi Party

Samajwadi Party president Mulayam Singh Yadav claimed that the Third Front goverment would be formed in the centre with the help of his party.[163] To counter the "Modi-effect" on other constituencies near Varanasi, Yadav decided to contest from Azamgarh and Mainpuri.[164] The party decided not to field any candidates against the INC's Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi from Rai Bariely and Amethi, respectively, in response to the INC's decision not to field any candidates against Mulayam Singh Yadav and Dimple Yadav from Mainpuri and Kannauj, respectively.[165]

Left fronts

Further information: List of Communist Party of India (Marxist) candidates in the Indian general election, 2014 and List of Left Front candidates in the Indian general election, 2014

Communist Party of India (Marxist)

File:CPI(M) Brigade rally 2.JPG
Brigade Ground rally of Left Front in Kolkata, February 2014

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) declared their campaign slogan as "Reject Congress, Defeat BJP."[166] On 3 April, the party published its fourth list of candidates for a total of 94 candidates.[167]

In West Bengal, CPI (M) will contest as part of the Left Front. Thirty-two out of the 42 Left Front candidates in West Bengal came from the CPI (M), while 20 of its candidates were running for the first time.[168] In Kerala, the CPI (M) contests as a constituent of the Left Democratic Front. In the list of the 15 CPI (M) candidates in Kerala released in mid-March, four were incumbent Lok Sabha members and five others were independents.[clarification needed][169][170] The Kollam seat was allocated to M.A. Baby after the RSP left the LDF and joined the United Democratic Front.[171]

In Assam, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Odisha and Tamil Nadu, the CPI (M) made an electoral pact with the CPI and other left parties.[which?][172][173][174][175][176][177][178] In Andhra Pradesh, however, no agreement could be reached between the CPI (M) and the CPI due to differences on the Telangana issue; CPI (M) opposed bifurcation, while the CPI supported creating Telangana.[179]

Aam Aadmi Party

Following a surprise showing in the 2013 Delhi election, the Aam Aadmi Party was said to be considering participating in the general election.[180] The party's leader Arvind Kejriwal announced that his party would contest all 26 Lok Sabha seats from Gujarat. The party's Prashant Bhushan said that the party would "press for decentralisation of powers and participation of the people in policy making at the central level" and that fundamental changes would be sought in the police and bureaucratic system to increase accountability.[181] Party spokesman Manish Sisodia said: "We have launched a drive called 'Mission Buniyad' to recruit at least 10 members in every district of Gujarat. This process will be over by the month end. Despite the order from the Supreme Court, the Gujarat government is not issuing notification for the appointment of new Lokayukta. The present Lokayukta law of Gujarat is very weak and does not help in controlling corruption in the state. In the near future we will fight for a strong Lokayukta in the state like we are fighting for a strong Jan Lokpal at the centre." [sic][182] The party's Madhya Pradesh Secretary Akshay Hunka added: "We will definitely contest the upcoming Lok Sabha polls in Madhya Pradesh and will be in a position to decide the number of seats we will be contesting in nearly a month's time.".[183] On 4 January 2014, Kejriwal was reported to have said he would not contest for a seat.[184]

In January, infighting within the AAP led to Delhi MLA Vinod Binny getting expelled.[why?][185] The party's Tamil Nadu unit reportedly split even before it was launched.[186]

Days after Kejriwal resigned as the Chief Minister of Delhi in mid-February, the AAP announced its first 20 candidates. It would also contest 350 of the 543 seats in the election. After the resignation, due to opposition to passing the Delhi Jan Lokpal Bill, media reports indicated an increase in financing for the party's electoral campaign.[187] The Christian Science Monitor asked if the resignation would be a "game-changer" for the election.[188]

AAP's fourth list of candidates included former Tehelka journalist Ashish Khetan for the New Delhi seat. Khetan is the third journalist in the list of six candidates for Delhi announced by the AAP.[189] The party announced its 15 candidates for Karnataka on 21 March.[190] Kejriwal will competing against the BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narender Modi from Varanasi.[191]

The AAP has also questioned the BJP campaign funding and alleged Modi had links with business tycoons who were sponsoring his campaign.[101] The Canadian Globe and Mail suggested the urban poor in Delhi were supporters of the AAP and Kejriwal's populism due to an increased subsidy of cooking gas.[192]

All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam

The All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) opted not to join an alliance and would therefore contest all seats in Tamil Nadu on its own.[193] Party leader Jayalalithaa told a rally in March that she would modernise the armed forces by enhancing their capabilities on par with superpowers. In saying so she criticised the UPA's governance including its economic, diplomatic and defence policies, adding that modernisation of the armed forces was hindered by steady curtailing of its funding.[194]

All India Forward Bloc

Further information: List of All India Forward Bloc candidates in the Indian general election, 2014

On 21 March, the All India Forward Bloc released its first list of candidates that covered 38 seats in West Bengal, Maharashtra, Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Haryana, Jharkhand, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Odisha, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Delhi. According to party Secretary Debabrata Biswas the main objective of the party was "to strengthen and unite the Left, democratic and secular forces to achieve an alternative policy for reconstruction of the country."[195][196] In West Bengal the party will contest the election as part of the Left Front.[168] In regards to the two West Bengal seats that it won in 2009, the party decided to field incumbent MP Narahari Mahato in the Purulia seat and a new candidate in the Cooch Behar seat.[195]

Bahujan Samaj Party

On 19 March, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader Mayawati declared that the party would contest the election on its own and field candidates in all 80 seats in Uttar Pradesh. She added that the BSP would seek a mandate to form a government with support from what she term "secular" parties.[197]

Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation

At a press conference held on 10 March, General Secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) Liberation Dipankar Bhattacharya said his party would field 85 candidates in Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Punjab, Jharkhand and Puducherry.[198]

Janata Dal (United)

The media speculated that Modi still have a chance of gaining in Bihar at the expense of Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal. During the coalition, Modi was not allowed to speak at rallies in the party by mutual understanding and was only allowed for special events such as a funeral or party conclave, even Modi's flood relief aid to Bihar was termed communal. His popularity was seen as a test case in Bihar and if the BJP could increase its tally or the JDU could; it even speculated if Lalu Prasad Yadav could make a comeback after the 2010 provincial election if he is not convicted over the fodder scam. It also suggested that this would be an eager race as it could determine if Kumar's decision was prudent and if he has any national political scope left; while for Modi it would give crucial seats to the BJP and be able to attract potential allies as Bihar is largely based on caste politics.[199] In January, Kumar referred to Gandhi's stand on corruption after a meeting between Gandhi and RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, who was convicted in a fodder scam and out on bail. He termed their alliance as "natural" and stated that them coming together was no surprise.[200]

Maharashtra Navnirman Sena

The Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) announced its first list of seven candidates. Six of them would contest against candidates of Shiv Sena. The party, however, also supported Modi's prime ministerial candidature. The move read as an implicit acceptance of the BJP's Nijin Gadkari's call not to contest against the NDA and to support its own candidates.[118]

Sikkim Democratic Front

On 10 March, the Sikkim Democratic Front declared that its incumbent MP, Prem Das Rai, would run for re-election. The party also released a list of 32 candidates for the Sikkim Legislative Assembly election, 2014 that will be held simultaneously with the election.[201]

Trinamool Congress

All-India Trinamool Congress leader Mamata Banerjee declared that the party would contest all 42 seats in West Bengal by itself, making this the first occurrence of the party contesting a general election in West Bengal without an alliance with either of the two largest parties, BJP nor INC.[202] Banerjee told a rally in Cooch Behar district, near the international border with Bangladesh, that she would take up the issue of the border enclaves that has resulted in adverse effects of the areas[clarification needed] upon ascertaining the views of the local population. She further noted that she had opposed the central government's agreement in 2011 over the Teesta treaty into water-sharing treaty between the two countries on the grounds of receding waters affecting drinking water availability."[203]

YSR Congress Party

Y. S. Jaganmohan Reddy's YSR Congress Party fielded candidates across Seemandhra and some districts of Telangana.[204] The party fielded several bureaucrats, businessmen and relatives of politicians for Lok Sabha seats in Seemandhra, including D. Kishore Rao, the former secretary of the Gujarat Human Rights Commission.[205] In a statement in March, Reddy stated that he would ally himself with whoever would win the election.[204]

Opinion polls

Main article: Opinion polling for the Indian general election, 2014

Opinion polls have generally shown the NDA to be the front runner in the election, with the BJP as the biggest party.

Controversies

Further information: Campaigning in the Indian general election, 2014 § Controversies

During the course of the campaign, several controversies arose with parties being accused by one another and the Election Commission of India of violating Election Commission of India's Model Code of Conduct that is in force during the election. There were also non-campaigning controversies.

As in the previous election, the international showpiece Twenty20 cricket event, the Indian Premier League's 2014 event was denied the security it demanded by Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and could, thus, be played outside India, despite being a domestic tournament.[206] After the announcement of the dates for the election, IPL chairman Ranjib Biswal stated that 60–70 percent of the tournament would be held in India.[207]

In the run-up to the election the media in India have been criticised for its establishment ties between family owners and political parties. This has caused self-censorship and editorial dismissals at certain media outlets, such as The Hindu for its ties to the INC.[208]

India Today suspended its C-voter opinion poll in late February after a News Express sting operation indicated it had fudged the numbers.[209]

Election

A first time voter displaying her voter identity card at a polling booth during the 4th phase of the election in Sikkim.

In total there were 14 lakhs electronic voting machines in 930,000 voting centres. The scale of the election required 11 lakhs of civil servants and 55 lakhs civlian employees to handle the election. It is the first election that will have the "none of the above" option and allows Non-Resident Indians to vote (though, ironically, only in India).[149] Security was increased during the election, particularly as the Communist Party of India (Maoist) (CPI (Maoist)) called for a boycott of the election.[210] On 12 April, even though there was no voting on the day, in Chhattisgarh a CPI (Maoist) landmine hit a vehicle resulting in the deaths of two bus drivers and five election officials, with four more injuries, as they were traveling from Kutru to Bijapur in preparation for the fifth phase of voting. On the same day, within an hour, they also ambushed a vehicle resulting in the deaths of five paramilitary soldiers in the Darbha forest,[211] another victim was also killed.[212]

On 16 April, India's Election Commission announced over 68% of eligible voters had casted their vote in the first four phases, compared to 58% observed overall voter turnout in the previous election.[213]

The election reportedly boosted the hospitality sector as, according to ASSOCHAM, tourist arrivals from the countries such as the U.S., U.K., France, Singapore and the U.A.E. have gone up by 10-15, while the movement of domestic tourists jumped by 62%.[214]

Phase 1–7 April

Turnout was 75% in Assam and 84% in Tripura.[215] Assam INC Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said that "there is no Narendra Modi magic in Assam. The Congress has been winning every form of elections since 2001 in Assam, and we are going to repeat the performance this time." Additionally, the borders with Bangladesh and Bhutan were shut for security reasons.[216]

Phase 2 - 9 and 11 April

Turnout was recorded at 82.5% in Nagaland, 71% in Arunachal Pradesh, 66% in Meghalaya and 70% in Manipur.[217][218] Mizoram's voting was deferred to 11 April,[23] where the turnout was 60%.[219]

Phase 3–10 April

About 11 crores of people were eligible to vote for 91 seats. Turnout was 76% in Kerala, 64% in Delhi, 55.98% in Madhya Pradesh, 54.13% in Maharashtra, 65% in Uttar Pradesh and 66.29% in Jammu.[210] Kerala and Chandigarh set new voter turnout records. A higher proportion of eligible electors voted in 2014 than in 2009.[220]

As of noon only five people had voted in Sameli[undue weight? – discuss] in Dantewada district in Chhattisgarh abstained from voting due to threats from the CPI (Maoist). One of the constituency candidates, Soni Sori, a tribal from the AAP, said: "I feel very sad seeing the situation here, as people are not able to come and cast their votes. It is their helplessness, I understand that, because I have lived in this village. I will not accuse the villagers for this." Prior to voting in the day, a CPI (Maoist) landmine blew up a jeep that was ferrying paramilitary soldiers who were patrolling Munger district in Bihar causing two deaths and three injuries.[210]

Phase 4–12 April

Voter turnout set new records or were near record levels with 75% in Goa, 75% in Assam, 81.8% in Tipura and 76% in Sikkim (including the Sikkim legislative assembly election, 2014).[221] West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee nearly causes cancellation of the in her region after initially refusing to changes appointments to civil service departments, but was forced to constitutionally do so.[222]

Phase 5–17 April

The largest voting day involved nearly 20 crores eligible voters,[223] 1,769 candidates for 121 seat. The voting turnout in Uttar Pradesh was 62%, West Bengal was 80%, over 70% in Odisha, 69% in Jammu and Kashmir, 54% in Madhya Pradesh and 62% in Jharkhand.[224] Manipur had 74%[223] and Maharashtra had a 61.7% turnout.[225] In Karnataka, the average voting was 65% as against 58% in the previous elections, though urban voters were lower.[226][227] In Chhattisgarh, the voter turnout was 63.44% compared to 57.6% in 2009, while Rajasthan recorded a 63.25% voter turnout, compared to 48.09% in 2009.[228] In Bihar's seven constituencies, the turnout was 56%, compared to 39% in 2009.[229] Overall turnout on the day was over 65%[223] and nearly all constituencies had higher voter turnout in 2009.[230]

Reactions

Domestic
Economic

The country's economic indicators were performing well in advance of the result in expectation of BJP win on the perception that Modi is business-friendly. The benchmark Sensex index hit a record high and the Indian rupee strengthened following months of poor performance.[231]

Media

India Times suggested the election was watched in Pakistan with Modi being the lesser popular candidate and the AAP's Kejriwal was popular. Comparisons were made between the latter and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's Imran Khan.[232] Analysts suggested a high turnout would favour the BJP as it is indicative of participation of urban voters who are the traditional vote bank, while others have suggested this could indicate increased voting amongst the 150 million Muslims that generally support the INC. Varghese K George, the political editor of The Hindu said that both readings rely on too many assumptions but that the only reading so far was the BJP was "doing well [and] Modi is managing to make some connection with voters and the Congress is doing pretty badly."[233]

International
Media

United States Prior to the announcement of the result, the Washington Post highlighted "...2014 will be the biggest year in the history of democracy, with more people than ever before going to the polls to decide their own fate...this really looks to be one of the most fascinating political events this year, and not just because of its scale...It's a fascinating moment in democracy, and one that shouldn't be ignored."[149] The New York Times added that "the sheer size of the electorate makes this election the largest ever in the world and an inspiring celebration of universal adult suffrage," but also wrote "lurking behind the feel-good spectacle is the reality that India’s elections are awash in illegal cash, serious violence and dirty tricks."[234] Bloomberg' Business Week wrote of the election that the "process is awesome in its complexity, and the campaigns have given rise to robust debate...But here’s something else not to miss: It’s all pretty damn colorful." It highlighted five reasons that make the election interesting: Kejriwal's effect, Modi's wife; exit polls are barred but betting on the future prime minister was not and Modi was in the lead; "vote buying" through cash, alcohol or other means; and 3D campaigning.[235] It also mentioned a Modi premiership as being conducive to relations with Japan[236] and questioned if a redefinition of India and nuclear weapons would then happen.[237]

See also

References

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