New Delhi, May 17 (IANS) The Election Commission Sunday announced results for all the 543 elected seats of the Lok Sabha, giving the United Progressive Alliance 262 seats, 10 short of the halfway mark.

The last pending result of Chandauli constituency of Uttar Pradesh was released in the evening. It went to the Samajwadi Party, taking its tally to 23 and the Fourth Front total to 27. The counting had been been halted Saturday night due to two malfunctioning electronic voting machines.

The tally so far (543/543):

UNITED PROGRESSIVE ALLIANCE – 262

Congress – 206

Trinamool Congress – 19

DMK – 18

Nationalist Congress Party – 9

National Conference – 3

Jharkhand Mukti Morcha – 2

Muslim League Kerala State Committee – 2

All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen – 1

Bodoland People’s Front – 1

Kerala Congress (Mani) – 1

NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC ALLIANCE – 159

Bharatiya Janata Party – 116

Janata Dal-United – 20

Shiv Sena – 11

Rashtriya Lok Dal – 5

Akali Dal – 4

Telangana Rashtra Samithi – 2

Asom Gana Parishad – 1

THIRD FRONT – 80

Bahujan Samaj Party – 21

CPI-M – 16

Biju Janata Dal – 14

AIADMK – 9

Telegu Desam Party – 6

CPI – 4

Janata Dal-Secular – 3

Forward Bloc – 2

Revolutionary Socialist Party – 2

MDMK – 1

Haryana Janhit Congress – 1

Jharkhand Vikas Morcha (Prajatantrik) – 1

FOURTH FRONT – 27

Samajwadi Party – 23

Rashtriya Janata Dal – 4

OTHERS – 15

Independents – 9

Assam United Democratic Front – 1

Bahujan Vikas Aaghadi – 1

Swabhimani Paksha – 1

Nagaland People’s Front – 1

Sikkim Democratic Front – 1

VCK – 1

Indo Asian News Service

Foreign Relations
Call for immediate cessation of war in Sri Lanka and demand an immediate stop to genocide against the civilian Tamil population. A grant of Rs 10,000 crores will be provided for the restoration and development of the Tamil areas of Sri Lanka and for the rehabilitation of displaced Tamils. Call for the scrapping of the deal provided there is a national consensus on the same. Committed to minimal nuclear deterrence. If need be, and based on the advice of the scientific community, the AIADMK shall keep the options of further nuclear testing open.

Agriculture
To waive all existing farm loans, including those with non-nationalized commercial banks. The party also plans to bring 30 Million Hectares under irrigation. It will also resume subsidy for seeds and fertilizers. No more promotion of Genetically Modified seeds. It also plans to create a branding for organically farmed produce for international and domestic sales.

Security
Will work towards a stringent anti-terrorism law with adequate safeguards to prevent misuse. To complete the border fencing between India and Bangladesh on a priority basis to ensure its completion within one year. Defence budget to be increased to 3.5 per cent of GDP against the present 2.5 per cent. Chip-embedded National Citizen Identity Cards to be issued to every Indian citizen.

Taxes
Plans to liberate the salaried middle class from income taxes. Income tax exemption limit for all others to be increased to Rs 5 Lakhs per annum. Tax exemption on Interest income if banked in for not less than five years for senior citizens. CBDT to review the Indo-Mauritian double taxation treaty as well as others that tacitly encourage money laundering. Repeal Fringe Benefit Tax and Banking Cash Transaction Tax. The party will come down heavily on tax evaders, black marketeers, hoarders and speculators.

Key candidates
J Jayalalitha
M Thambidurai

NCP

Infrastructure
- More investment on infrastructure development. – More and more infrastructure activities and schemes should be taken up by the government departments. The government and the banks should come out with financial support for these activities. – More private investment should be attracted for infrastructure development. They should be encouraged in air connectivity and road connectivity between all state capitals. – Infrastructure facilities for imparting universal primary education in each and every village.

Jobs
- To insist on increasing the scope of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS). More days of work should be guaranteed and the wages paid to them should be increased. – Domestic consumption should be encouraged for which the purchasing capacity of the people should be improved. – Cheaper goods to meet market competition should be targeted. The growth in the agriculture sector will contribute to the purchasing power of the people to some extent. – Self help groups should be encouraged to take up small industrial units for producing consumer goods should be encouraged.


Foreign Relations
Not mentioned

Agriculture
Agriculture sector to be given topmost priority in development schemes: – Budget allotment for agriculture sector and irrigation to be substantially increased. – More land to be brought under cultivation. – For further increase in production and productivity in agriculture with special attention to the production of oil seeds and pulses. – Remunerative prices to be made available for all agriculture products including cash crop products. – Agro processing units and agro based industries to be encouraged. – Equal importance will be given to the development of diary farming and up gradation of cattle wealth. – Development of fisheries sector also to be intensified. Assistance to be given to the fishing community for deep sea fishing and processing and export.

Security
Not mentioned

Taxes
Not mentioned

Key candidates
Sharad Pawar
Praful Patel

Infrastructure
The Janata Dal (Secular) party will give top priority for irrigation to increase the area under irrigation. The party will formulate such a national rural housing policy for the poor by roping in the private sector builders to provide environmentally safe houses for the rural poor and the middle class. We will review all the past privatization efforts and will reverse if found necessary to strengthen the public sector in the country.

Jobs
The party will ask all the banks to lend loans to unemployed educated youths to start their own self-employment activities such as poultry, fishery, dairy, commercial animal husbandry, horticulture, floriculture etc in rural areas, and computer service centres, internet services, language and computer training centres and a host of modern services which are in demand in urban areas. We will enact a legislation making it legally compulsory to provide security of jobs, medical benefits and pension benefits to taxi and auto-riksha drivers.

Foreign Relations
JDS will announce its pragmatic Non-Alignment Policy of promoting friendship and cooperation with all countries of the world without fear or favour to any country or power-blocks like NATO and Collective Security Treaty Organisation. The Non-Alignment policy will be pragmatic in that it will be guided by the national interest and not to support or oppose any country’s political and military ambitions. India will actively engage itself in promoting peace and stability in all parts of the world. It will not brook any partisan policies of other countries based on region or religion. It will actively participate in the UNO sponsored activities and its agencies on equal terms.

Agriculture
JDS will write off all past loans of the small and marginal farmers borrowed from the cooperative credit institutions and public sector banks from 1991. The party will give top priority for irrigation to increase the area under irrigation. A nation wide pension scheme will be launched to provide Rs 500 monthly pension to all marginal and small farmers and agricultural labourers above the age of 60 years. The party will also give notice to the WTO for exclusion of agriculture from WTO arrangement. All commercial banks will be mandated by amending the relevant Banking Law to lend at least 20 per cent of their advances to agriculture including horticulture, floriculture and fishy culture at subsidised rate of five per cent.

Security
JDS will give top priority to modernize and strengthen our defence preparedness. As a first step, our party will build a minimum nuclear deterrent force as a safeguard against any unexpected eventualities. The party will create a new division within ISRO to develop space weapons system for use as quickly as possible. It will create four units of Rapid-Assault Force to be stationed in four corners of the country for dealing with any terrorist attack.

Taxes
JDS will appoint an expert committee to review all tax exemptions, deductions, concessions. The party will make special efforts to set right the fiscal system of the country by reviewing the entire tax structure of the country in such a way as to raise more tax revenue and to reduce both revenue and fiscal deficits. The party will levy capital gains tax at the normal rates of income tax applicable to income slabs if the capital gains are realized within three years from the date of purchasing the shares.

CPI-M

Infrastructure
Increase public investment in infrastructure and create plan outlays for power, communications, railways, roads, ports and airports. Review energy and telecom policies, the Electricity Act 2003 and review privatisation of infrastructure. Emphasis on rural infrastructure and increased outlays on rural roads, electrification etc.


Jobs
Increase public expenditure on education to 6 per cent of GDP. Enacting the Right to Education Bill and expanding secondary education to arrest dropouts. Improve quality of education and infrastructure in SSA schools. Revising pay scales for elementary school teachers. Students’ union elections to be made mandatory in all higher educational institutions.

Foreign Relations
To establish an independent and non-aligned foreign policy, which defends India from imperialist pressures. Oppose US military interventions and distancing from US-sponsored ‘war on terror’. Promote multipolarity in international relations. Promote people to people relations between India and Pakistan. Extend support to the Palestinian cause and severing military and security ties with Israel. Giving special attention to promote SAARC cooperation and improving relations with all neighbouring countries in South Asia.

Agriculture
To ensure massive increase in public investment in agriculture and irrigation. Protection against price crashes of crops through price support and increased import tariffs. Implement the pro-farmer recommendations of the National Commission on Farmers and ensure institutional credit to the agricultural sector at a maximum 4 per cent rate of interest. Expand public investment in power supply in rural areas and ensure uninterrupted supply of power to agriculture.

Security
Review and rework the 123 Agreement for civil nuclear cooperation to remove the harmful clauses. Pursue self-reliance in civilian nuclear energy based on domestic uranium and thorium reserves. Pursue universal nuclear disarmament through the UN. Seek removal of nuclear weapons from the US military base in Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. Cessation of Indo-US joint military exercises. Create a national security apparatus.

Taxes
Income tax relief for salaried employees, pensioners and senior citizens. Halt further tax concessions to corporates and Increase wealth tax for the super rich. Devolving 50 per cent of the total pool of collection of Central taxes to the states and raising states’ share of market borrowing to 50 per cent.

Infrastructure
Our priority would be “to development the nation, through national effort”. We will have to work at every level for development of our domestic industry. We will take steps necessary for developing a sense of national feeling. The new states, which are lagging behind in industrial development will be given all possible assistance in establishing new industries. Achieving greater national integration, balanced development of all the parts of the country would be necessary. All efforts will be made to sustain small and cottage industries. Our priority will be provide at least one sources of safe drinking water to a group of one hundred people.


Jobs
Three percent of vacancies in all government and non-government jobs will be reserved for the disabled. This will be strictly followed. It is our responsibility to explore the possibility of providing employment to the youth after completion of their education.

Foreign Relations
While pursuing the policy of non-alignment, we will also ensure that foreign policy is formulated in such a way that it leads to all round development and security of the nation. Creating an atmosphere against the imperialist mindset will also be one of is important component. We wish to maintain friendly relations with our neighboring countries. We will strive to being together the South Asian countries on various issues of their common interest.

Agriculture
Our main focus will be modernization of agriculture farming. Our priority will be to recommence work on those irrigation projects, which have been shelved for lack of funds. Crop insurance scheme will be implemented all over the country. The party would ensure remunerative prices of agriculture machinery, seeds , irrigation pump sets and equipment will also be kept at reasonable level. It will make efforts to fix prices of agriculture products after consultations with the Government and the representatives.

Security
We are in favour of solving the problems of disturbed areas, especially Jammu & Kashmir through dialogue, But, we are not in favour of any third party intervention. In the “Indian Federal System”, we intend to take up many programs for the development of the disturbed states.

Taxes
While giving the status of an industry to agriculture, it will be our priority to keep this sector free from all taxes.

Key candidates
Ram Vilas Paswan
Prakash Jha

Infrastructure
To revive the economy and restore the high growth witnessed in the first four years of the Congress-led UPA Government.
- Connect all villages to a broadband network in three years time
- Bring the fruits of the IT revolution to more cities and towns. This will help open vast new opportunities for our rural youth.
- New deal for SMEs and for first-generation entrepreneurs by assuring them greater access to collateral-free credit and liberating them from the multiplicity of laws and forms.


Jobs
All students admitted to any recognized course in any recognized college/university will be provided, on a need basis, either a scholarship or an educational loan without collateral repayable over a very long period. To ensure that the expansion plans on the higher education front are implemented. To reap the impart skills to a bigger chunk of the below-35 population through an extensive skill development programme so that the employability of youth is enhanced. Funds will be provided to ensure its widest possible coverage.

Foreign Relations
The foreign policy followed in the past five years has yielded handsome results: the foremost example is the Nuke deal with USA. India’s patient but forceful diplomacy has obliged Pakistan to admit that its citizens were responsible for carrying out Mumbai-attacks in November 2008.

Agriculture
Every small and marginal farmer in the country will have access to bank credit at lower rates of interest. To extend interest relief to all farmers who repay bank loans on schedule. To ensure that farming becomes a profitable occupation. Consider direct income support to farmers in the ecologically vulnerable regions of the country. Minimum Support Price (MSP) and procurement will be ensured at the doorsteps of farmers.

Security
Our policy is zero tolerance towards terrorism from whatever source it originates. We have already initiated the process of equipping our police and other specialist security forces with the latest weapons and technology. This process will be taken forward vigorously. More specialist battalions will be raised and positioned in key locations across the country.

Taxes
To introduce a moderate goods and services tax (GST) so that all other central and state-level indirect taxes such as VAT, excise duty, service tax, entertainment tax, luxury tax etc. will stand abolished and bring substantial relief to the aam admi.

Key candidates
Sonia Gandhi
Manmohan Singh
Rahul Gandhi
Pranab Mukherjee
P Chidambaram
Renuka Chowdhary
Shekhar Suman

BJP

Infrastructure
The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, the largest rural connectivity programme initiated by the NDA Government, will be fully implemented in the first three years. Bring down interest rates for housing loans so that housing becomes affordable. Enhance the capabilities of the manufacturing sector by easing credit availability. Promote SMEs and the retail sector which can generate a large number of jobs. Give a boost to tourism by selecting 50 tourist destinations and investing heavily in their infrastructure.

Jobs
Arrest the loss of jobs and reverse the trend of joblessness which is far worse than unemployment by making massive public sector investments in job-generating infrastructure. Education will be the Government instrument to reduce poverty, promote health, protect the environment and advance gender equality. Central allocation to education shall be raised to six per cent of the GDP.

Foreign Relations
The BJP desires good relations between India and the USA, but we will not compromise on either India’s national interest or relations with another friendly country. Pakistan: There can be no ‘comprehensive dialogue’ for peace unless Pakistan a) dismantles the terrorist infrastructure on territory under its control; b) actively engages in prosecuting terror elements c) puts a permanent end to using cross-border terrorism as an instrument of state policy; d) stops using the territory of third countries to launch terror attacks on India; and, e) hands over to India individuals wanted for committing crimes on Indian soil.

Agriculture
To make India’s farmer debt-free, the BJP will waive agricultural loans. Set up a commission to study the entire gamut of farmer’s loans and come up with an actionable solution to the deepening crisis. Provide 35 kg of rice or wheat every month to BPL families at Rs 2 per kg.

Security
Revive the anti-terror mechanism that has been dismantled by the Congress and make POTA more effective. Completely revamp the internal and external intelligence agencies and review the existing system of coordination and dissemination of intelligence inputs. A Digital Security Agency will be set up to deal with cyber warfare, cyber counterterrorism, and cyber security of national digital assets.

Taxes
Put in place a low tax, low interest regime so that people have more money and their purchasing power increases, which in turn will serve as an impetus for the economy. Exempt income up to Rs 3 lakh from Income Tax. Women and senior citizens will receive an additional exemption benefit of Rs 50,000. Income of all senior citizens by way of pension will be exempt from Income Tax. Dispense with clubbing of agricultural income with other sources of income for determining tax liability on other income. CST will be abolished and GST will be rationalised between 12 and 14 per; FBT will go. Bring back the money (estimated at Rs 25,00,000 crore and Rs 75,00,000 crore) illegally stashed in Swiss bank accounts and tax havens.

Key candidates
L K Advani
Narendra Modi
Rajnath Singh
Arun Jaitley
Sushma Swaraj

Voting in the Indian election takes place in five phases from 16 April – 13 May. The result is announced on Saturday 16 May. Click on the buttons below to see which states vote when

Election Basics: Voting myths
Election Basics: Who does what
Key election battles
Indian election in numbers
Political Party Listing – 2009
Young India sees politics as a management challenge
New idiom for a new generation
1947-2009 – India’s PMs
Profile – Lal Krishna Advani
Indian elections 2009 – Election results
Congress Party, allies celebrate their poll victory
The record-setting Manmohan Singh
A thoughtful verdict for stability
The Lessons of Election 2009
Singh is King – Manmohan does a Nehru
Crime files – 34 Lok Sabha candidates in Andhra have criminal record
Crime files – 7 millionaires, four convicts among West Bengal candidates
Crime files – Women MPs, MLAs too have criminal records
Will the new Congress fire MPs with Criminal Records?
Manmohan Singh appointed PM
Four new faces in union cabinet
Election 2009 – Rahul Gandhi will NOT join cabinet
India to swear in 19 cabinet members
Manmohan Singh begins 2nd term as PM
Jai Ho Congress!
Rahul Gandhi – the White Knight
End of the line for Advani?
Historic Victory for Congress; BJP concedes defeat
Indian MPs’ assets top Rs 3,000 crore
Sensex creates history: hits 14,000, triggers trade halt
Rupee soars 120 paise to 48.20 level in morning trade
Lalu’s Bihar express
2009 Lok Sabha election
Crime files -Congress has most candidates with criminal records in phase II
Complete list of Cabinet ministers and portfolios
PM announces Cabinet portfolios – 2009
Manmohan Singh’s Ministers take oath(in picture)

UTTAR PRADESH

Seats: 80
Population: 166 million

Once a Congress Party stronghold, India’s most populous state is now dominated by two caste-based parties, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) led by Dalit (formerly untouchable) leader Mayawati, and the Samajwadi Party (SP) of Mulayam Singh Yadav, which draws support from lower castes and Muslims. The two parties won 54 seats between them in 2004, while Congress and the BJP won 19 between them.

Acute poverty, rising crime, poor infrastructure and abysmal healthcare are the biggest problems in the state, often referred to as India’s Hindi heartland.

Mayawati’s BSP is looking to repeat its sweeping victory in 2007 state elections. It has assiduously cultivated upper-caste Hindus to refashion itself as a rainbow coalition of high and low castes.

Mayawati has ambitions to become a pan-Indian leader and could be a crucial player in coalition negotiations once the votes are counted. It is even possible she could emerge as prime minister at the head of a Third Front of communist and left-wing parties.

———————————————————————-

BIHAR

Seats: 40
Population: 82 million

Bihar is renowned as one of India’s poorest and most lawless states.

Two regional parties – the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and the Janata Dal United (JDU) – dominate the political landscape. Both have links with the country’s main political parties, the RJD with Congress, and the JDU with the BJP.

In 2004, the RJD, led by the flamboyant Laloo Yadav, picked up more than half of the state’s seats, while the JDU managed only six. Mr Yadav went on to become railway minister in the Congress-led government. He has been credited with turning around India’s ailing train network.

But the tables have turned since 2004. The JDU and BJP swept state polls in 2005, with JDU leader Nitish Kumar cashing in on popular disenchantment with the RJD government and the deteriorating law and order situation.

To make things worse for the Congress, its alliance with RJD has collapsed this time over distribution of seats. In a curious political twist, the RJD is now contesting the election in alliance with another UPA partner, Lok Janashakti Party (LJP).

So the main battle in Bihar this time is between the JDU-BJP alliance and RJD-LJP alliance. Deserted by its allies, Congress has been reduced to a small player.

Bihar needs to catch up with the rest of India – and jobs, development, infrastructure and security are what its voters demand.

———————————————————————-

TAMIL NADU

Seats: 39
Population: 62 million

One of India’s most economically developed states – and one of its most politically volatile. Known as India’s Detroit for its car making, it also has a strong services sector and a booming film industry.

The main contest will be between two of India’s most powerful regional parties, the DMK and the AIADMK. Since the 1960s, regional parties have tapped into nascent Tamil nationalism and lower caste aspirations.

M Karunanidhi, an astute scriptwriter, heads the DMK, which governs the state. Pitted against him is a controversial former actress, the feisty J Jayalalitha, who leads the AIADMK. The dominance of these two personality-driven parties is so great that no national party has been able to make substantial political headway in Tamil Nadu in the last three decades.

In 2004 the DMK coalition swept every seat. But Tamil Nadu is considered a swing state. Whoever wins there is likely to play an important role in the forming of India’s new coalition government.

———————————————————————-

ANDHRA PRADESH

Seats: 42
Population: 75 million

Andhra Pradesh is marked by extreme affluence – there are vast farms and a burgeoning info-tech and services industry – and desperate poverty. The state also faces a separatist movement in the poverty-ridden Telangana region.

State and federal elections are both taking place here, with a keen contest in prospect between the ruling Congress Party and the main opposition alliance, led by the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) with the support of the communists.

Andhra Pradesh was a Congress stronghold until the TDP emerged in the 1980s. In 2004, a Congress-led alliance swept the polls, winning 37 seats. Five years earlier an alliance between the TDP and the BJP had taken 36.

Congress is banking this time on schemes like cheap rice, free electricity for farmers, free health cover for poor families and cheap loans for women.

Meanwhile, Chandrababu Naidu, the TDP leader hailed in the West as a mascot of economic reforms, is promising free electricity and television sets and unemployment benefit.

———————————————————————-

ORISSA

Seats: 21
Population: 37 million

State and general elections are both likely to be three-sided contests, following a split in March between the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and the BJP – former allies who governed the state together.

Both will now fight each other as well as Congress, the main opposition in the state.

The BJD hopes to win voter support with recently introduced measures, including cheap rice for the poor, better pay for government employees and better pensions for the elderly.

Congress says it will focus its campaign on calls to eliminate corruption, which it says has escalated over the last nine years. The BJP says the deterioration of law and order will be one of its election priorities.

Analysts says the state could be heading for a hung assembly. Congress should in theory benefit from the BJD-BJP split, but it may not be able to emerge as a clear winner.

Orissa is no stranger to hung assemblies and has had them regularly since the 1950s.

———————————————————————-

MAHARASHTRA

Seats: 48
Population: 96 million

After last November’s attacks in Mumbai, security is a key issue in this state, which is home to India’s financial capital.

The Congress Party’s Vilasrao Deshmukh had to resign as chief minister in Maharashtra – along with deputy RR Patil – for perceived failures over the Mumbai attacks. It has formed a pre-poll alliance and seat-sharing pact with the Nationalist Congress Party of Sharad Pawar.

The head of the right-wing Hindu Shiv Sena party, Bal Thackeray, has been ill and has made few public appearances. His nephew, Raj Thackeray, meanwhile, has formed a new party, the Maharashtra Navnirmaan Sena, along similar right-wing nationalist lines but is unlikely to make a big impact at national level.

The BJP is likely to focus on security, and the suicide rate among farmers suffering financial difficulties.

A critical shortage of electricity – with cuts ranging from four to 16 hours a day in most parts of the state – is also among voters’ major concerns.

———————————————————————-

WEST BENGAL

Seats: 42
Population: 80 million

A left-wing coalition has governed the state for more than three decades. The left won 35 parliamentary seats in West Bengal in the 2004 elections, with Congress winning six and the Trinamul Congress one.

But the opposition parties are upbeat about how they will perform this time and are expecting to make major gains.

But now it seems the left is in trouble. The once-loyal rural poor have turned against Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharya, as he pushes ahead with his plans to acquire farmland for big industrial projects.

The opposition, especially the Trinamul Congress – a party specific to West Bengal – have joined protests against large-scale land acquisition.

But Mr Bhattacharya insists that West Bengal must rapidly industrialise in order to provide jobs for millions of unemployed men and women.

“The iron discipline of the left is wilting after three decades in power. This election will be a real wake-up call for them,” says political analyst Sabyasachi Basu Ray Chaudhuri.

———————————————————————-

GUJARAT

Seats: 26
Population: 51 million

Congress campaigned hard in Gujarat’s state elections in 2007, but still lost to the BJP, allowing the controversial Narendra Modi to become chief minister for the third time in a row.

Mr Modi won the 2002 election on a Hindu nationalist platform shortly after the massacre of some 1,000 Muslims in Gujarat. In 2007, he toned down his nationalist rhetoric and campaigned on his economic record – the state’s economy has been growing roughly 10% per year, above the national average.

Mr Modi appointed a Muslim as the state’s police chief in February, in what analysts see as an attempt to court a secular image. But the arrest and resignation of the state’s education minister on 27 March, in connection with the 2002 riots, is seen as a major embarrassment for the party.

Mr Modi is considered a possible successor to the ageing BJP leader LK Advani and will be hitting the campaign trail in other parts of India.

———————————————————————-
KERALA

Seats: 20

Population: 32 million

A communist bastion with the highest literacy rates in India. Nearly a quarter of its population are Muslim. The Left Democratic Front (LDF) alliance won 19 of 20 parliamentary seats in 2004. The Congress-led alliance won just one.

Infighting within the Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPI(M), is likely to mean the left does less well this time. Traditional CPI(M) allies are unhappy at Chief Minister VS Achuthanandan’s links with Abdul Nasser Madani, who leads the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Mr Madani was arrested in 1998 in connection with an election rally blast in Tamil Nadu in which 60 people were killed. He was acquitted of all charges in 2007, but some of the mud has stuck.

Strained ties with another former ally, the Janata Dal (Secular), are also expected to work against the CPI(M).

The Congress party has been making a major push in the state, sending Rahul Gandhi to campaign. It is also fielding former UN under secretary general Shashi Tharoor as a candidate.

———————————————————————-

Phase I

16 April: Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Maharashtra, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Orissa, Uttar Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshwadeep

Total constituencies: 124

Phase II

22 April: Manipur

23 April: Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Goa, Jammu & Kashmir, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand

Total constituencies: 141

Phase III

30 April: Bihar, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Jammu & Kashmir, Gujarat, Sikkim, Dadar and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu

Total constituencies: 107

Phase IV

7 May: Bihar, Haryana, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Delhi

Total constituencies: 85

Phase V

13 May: Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Uttarakhand, Chandigarh, Pondicherry, Uttar Pradesh

Total constituencies: 86

NDA’s Prime Ministerial candidate, Lal Krishna Advani has had a long political career in various roles – Deputy PM, BJP President and Leader of Opposition. Here’s more on LK Advani…

Date of Birth – November 8, 1927

Place of Birth – Karachi

Father – Kishanchand D. Advani

Mother – Gyani Devi

Marital Status – Married

Positions held in public life:

RSS Secretary, Karachi – 1947

Elected to Rajya Sabha – 1970

Union Cabinet Minister, Ministry of I&B – 1977-79

Elected to 9th Lok Sabha – 1989

Leader of Opposition, Lok sabha – 1989-91, 1991-93, 2004

Union Cabinet Minster, Home Affairs – 1999-2004

L K Advani has endorsed technology in reaching out to people. Going the Obama way, for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, L K Advani has his own website. He has also been using SMSes, Blogs and video clips, hoping to reach out the younger generation.

Advani on Varun Gandhi: “As far as I remember, this is the first time in the last 60 years that the Election Commission has asked a party not to give ticket to someone. No rule or the constitution gives such a right to the commission.”

Advani on Third Front: “There is no scope for a Third Front government, which does not have the support of the BJP or the Congress. It is a farcical illusion in the minds of people.”

Speaking on the occasion of the BJP Manifesto release, Advani spoke on India’s neighbours:

There can be no comprehensive dialogue for peace unless Pakistan dismantles the terrorist infrastructure on the territory under its control.

The BJP would like to see Nepal emerge as a stable, prosperous country, and will strive to strengthen age-old fraternal ties.

Pro-actively engage the government of Bangladesh on issues of mutual assistance and benefit. A friendly government in Dhaka is in India’s interest.

The BJP will pursue a robust relationship with Sri Lanka and regain the initiative that has been lost during the last five years.

He would further build upon India-Afghanistan relations and work in close association with the international community to ensure a stable, secure and prosperous Afghanistan.

Educational Qualifications: Law Graduate

Educated at St. Patricks High School, Karachi, DG National College, Hyderabad, Sindh and Government Law College, Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Other interests: Writing – A Prisoner’s Scrap Book, The People Betrayed, Autobiography: My Country, My Life