NEW DELHI, (Reuters) – Street clashes erupted in India after an announcement yesterday that parliamentary elections will start on April 7 in a race that pits Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi against the unpopular Nehru-Gandhi family’s ruling party.
Chief Election Commissioner V.S. Sampath said 814 million people had registered to vote, a number exceeding the population of Europe and a world record. Results are due on May 16.
In Delhi and a regional city, supporters of a young anti-corruption party battled members of Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The clashes with stones and clubs bloodied several people on both sides. Police used water cannons on protesters.
The violence broke out after police detained the leader of the anti-corruption Aam Aadmi (Common Man) Party (AAP) during a campaign in Modi’s state of Gujarat. Small groups of supporters gathered outside BJP offices to protest his detention.
“We came in a peaceful manner, we stood outside, they shut the gates. We shouted slogans: ‘Have shame Narendra Modi’,” said AAP activist Shazia Ilmi. “They started throwing stones from inside.” The BJP blamed the AAP protesters for the fighting.
The election campaign coincides with growing anger among urban Indians over corruption, as well as a sense that the centre-left government led by the Congress party has frittered away opportunities for rapid growth.
Modi has emerged in opinion polls as the favourite to head the next government, buoyed by his strong economic track record as chief minister of Gujarat, a west coast state.
“I think everyone is looking for strong leadership. This places Modi at an advantage. He’s showing that he’s a strong leader,” said Mohan Guruswamy of the Centre for Policy Alternatives, a Delhi-based think-tank.
