Local issues dominate Indian election
Updated
The second phase of India's month-long rolling parliamentary election continues tomorrow.
More than 700 million people are eligible to vote, with the most likely result... another coalition government. The process began last Thursday, and one of the first regions to vote was the Indian cultural capital of Varanasi.
Presenter: Michael Coggan
Speakers: Rajesh Mishra, Congress Party candidate; Ajay Rai, Samajwadi Party candidate
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MICHAEL COGGAN: The holy city of Varanasi is waking up to a new era in Indian politics. For thousands of years pilgrims have been coming here to watch and take part in spiritual ceremonies and rites of passage along the Ghats on the banks of the River Ganges. Varanasi is one of more than 100 constituencies to vote on 16 April, the first phase of a month-long voting process to decide who will govern the world's largest democracy. The political battle centred on this city is a good example of how close run this election is expected to be. Five years ago Rajesh Mishra won Varanasi for the ruling Indian National Congress Party from the BJP opposition with a 10% majority but changes to the boundaries of the electorate has increased the proportion of Muslim voters, triggering a hotly contested battle.
DR RAJESH MISHRA: The main issue is development. The BJP had been in power here for three consecutive terms until 2004. All developmental work had come to a standstill here. We started developmental activities in Benares after 2004 and since then the Indian Government has allocated more funds for departmental work in Benares than since any other time since independence.
MICHAEL COGGAN: The Congress Party MP is confident he can retain the seat based on his performance on local issues but he's being challenged by three controversial rivals.
DR RAJESH MISHRA: Two kinds of forces are ranged against me in the election. The BJP candidate is most communal and the Samajwadi Party and the Bahujan Samaj Party candidates are two of the biggest criminals in Uttar Pradesh.
MICHAEL COGGAN: The most controversial of the candidates is running for the Bahujan Samaj Party headed by the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh, Mayawati Kumari. She selected a mafia-linked Muslim identity, Mukhtar Ansari, to run in Varanasi despite the fact he's in jail on a murder charge. Mayawati is immensely popular in Uttar Pradesh. Known as the queen of the low-caste dalits she has been vocal about her ambitions to become prime minister. Until late last year Ajay Rai was a local member of the main opposition BJP but he decided to switch from the Samajwadi Party after being denied a ticket for this election. In a region where politicians are often linked to corruption and criminals, Ajay Rai rejects the suggestion from his Congress Party rival that he's involved in criminal activity.
AJAY RAI: Nobody becomes a criminal just because somebody calls him a criminal.
MICHAEL COGGAN: Ajay Rai is counting on his long-term links to the local community to win him votes.
AJAY RAI: People will vote for a local candidate. They won't vote for outsiders, they will not vote for mafia elements like Mr Ansari from the BSP. People will vote for local issues and development.
MICHAEL COGGAN: With votes being cast in five phases across the country on a massive scale, it's difficult to predict which parties are in front. The results will be revealed on 16 May. Regardless of which party or parties come out on top, they will most likely have to do deals with the key minor parties to hold on to power and walk the same tenuous political tightrope the ruling Congress Party has had to negotiate over the past five years.
