saregamapa

Will you be voting in the next Indian elections? Every Indian should vote. I think Indian companies (Private Sector) should encourage voting among Indian youth. They should cut pay for not voting....

Moderators - Can this be made a Sticky until end of May, 2009.

India will hold general elections to the 15th Lok Sabha in 5 phases on April 16, April 22, April 23, April 30, May 7 and May 13, 2009. The results of the election will be announced in single phase on May 16, 2009. There are [SIZE=4] 543 seats in the [/SIZE][SIZE=4]Lok Sabha[/SIZE]

According to the Indian Constitution, elections in India for the Lok Sabha (the lower house) must be held at least every five years under normal circumstances. With the last elections held in 2004, the term of the 14th Lok Sabha expires on June 1, 2009.

The election is conducted by the Election Commission of India, which estimates an electorate of 714 million voters, an increase of 43 million over the 2004 election. During the budget presented in February 2009, Rupees 1,120 crores(Approx. EUR 180 M) was budgeted for election expenses.[2]
Three Indian states Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Sikkim will also conduct elections to their respective legislative assemblies.




Lok Sabha Election 2009,General Elections 2009,15th Lok Sabha Election,Indian General Elections



India 2009 Elections, Lok Sabha Election



BBC

BBC NEWS | South Asia | Indian elections battleground map

yusufkhan1972

Long live Indian democracy. The largest democracy of World has shown strong stability, perfect maturity and strives to bring the to the world.

saregamapa

There is a Campaign against not electing anyone with criminal record.

No Criminals

Join the Campaign
There are many ways in which you can join the campaign and strengthen it.

Here are some ideas:

Spread the word. * Email your friends about this campaign and encourage them to register. * Tell them about the cool SMS feature where you can get the information on criminal charges on mobile phones * If you have a blog, write about the campaign and why it is important for everyone to appeal to political parties to not field people with criminal backgrounds in this election * If you are on social networking sites, create groups and have discussions on this issue * Hold a rally in your college and get all students to sign the appeal letter and send it to political party leaders Organise an event in your city. This takes effort, but unless large numbers of people come out and appeal to political parties to not field people with criminal charges, this problem is likely to continue.

Victory

I will be voting in this elections.

My analysis is that there are no major national issues, other than terrorism, but the economic and local issues dominate the scene.

Today is the first phase of election in many eastern and central parts of the country and Bihar.

Some of the big names whose fate is being sealed in the ballot are?

Lalu Prasad, Praful Patel, Shashi Tharoor, Yashwant sinha, MM Joshi, Renuka Chowdhury, KCR (TRS Chief) .

My prediction is a hung assembly and probably Congress will form the government with coalition partners.

Lost souls

congress Sucks!!!!!!!!!!

Matrubhoomi

Congress's biggest problem is that it is stuck with dynasty and family based control over party.

Here Sonia dictates everything and Manmohan+company are subserviant to that.

I am sure by next 5 years Rahul Gandhi will be projected as PM, so Dynasty contnues.

This is one thing is sharp contrast to BJP. Unlike Congress BJP is all about grass-root workers based party. Anyone can get the top post in BJP irrespective of his family, influence, caste creed, religion.

BJP also has more progressive, assertive, national interest driven policies with dynamic pool of leaders like NAMO and Arun Jaitely, etc.

Victory

I agree, but the voting will be split. Congress is very good in managing coalition governments. That will guarantee stability at the centre.

BJP can be a good party, but the problem is a large majority of minorities do not prefer them. Also, there are some pre-poll set backs, which I think might go against BJP.

1) The decision of Naveen patnaik to quit NDA and thus weakening them in Orissa.

2) In AP, the secular vote is split between Congress, TDP alliance and PRP. The entire old city or Hyderabad and some areas of telengana will go for the Majlis. BJP will be the smallest party in AP.
Amid so much confusion, Congress is set to gain in AP.

3) BJP is weak in the backward regions of India, esp UP and Bihar, where you have more than 100+ seats. Nitish might jump from the NDA bandwagon anytime.


Elections might throw up some surprises, but I think we are sure of one thing, that there will be a co-alition govt at the centre.

Punjabee in USA

BJP is the best party (of the current lot) to rule India. The development work of BJP governments in Gujarat, Rajasthan, Chattisgarh is a model for the rest of the country. I am all for its hardline stance on terrorism and its international policy.

The problem is that BJP has certain divisive items in its manifesto that make minorities feel insecure (eg.Ram Mandir) which is why they will never get absoulte majority. And even if BJP wanted to move away from its hard line stance and become more inclusive, its rivals will not let it do that.

I just saw a couple of surveys on NDTV & CNN IBN where people think that Advani will be a better PM than Manmohan Singh. I hope that sentiment carries through to the elections.

saregamapa

Sindhi women wants to change Mumbai. Spread the word


Meera H Sanyal

Med911

I will be voting in this election!

simplyme

Your assertion that the BJP is the best party of the current lot is just a matter of perception. The development work of BJP in Gujarat might be true, but the cost of the development should not be by stiffling the rights of ordinary people. Godhra or no Godhra , Gujarat riots are a permanent blot on the nation Development work in the other two states are just on paper and is just hype.

The hardline stance of terrorism is just hype and does not relate to reality. There were multiple terror incidents during BJP's rule. Dont even get me started on Kandahar. A foreign minister accompanaying a dreaded terrorist. A home minister who denies any knowledge of the exchange.

The divisive items in its manifesto is driving the party. Party had to rely on Ram Mandir to become a party that counts.
Biggest advantage for the party is that it is media savvy and does everything to garner support.

pallavpotter

Our parties. like the rest of the S. Asia, are the worst of the lots.
the best solution would have been independent canditats but the have no power at all.

and both Congress and BJP suck, suck a lot.
but i would rather see a secular party win than a by-large a hardliner one.
you cannot rule a secular country with a hardliner party.

Anyone can get the top post in BJP irrespective of his family, influence, caste creed, religion.
believe me, not only caste, creed and religion matter in BJP, but family and influence play a big role too, though you'r right, no other more dynastic aparty than Congress.

Punjabee in USA

Voting for what ? Sharia rule in Swat ??

Punjabee in USA

I agree that its a matter of perception, however one cannot deny that the development work in Gujarat has bettered the lot of both Hindus & Muslims. As for stifling the rights of minorities - what about the Sikh riots in 1984 ? The Congress govt had given tickets to the people responsible even in these elections, and it took a shoe thrown at the Home Minister for them to replace those candidates.

We can keep debating about Kandahar, however dont forget that there were innocent people on the plane. Its easier to make judgements from the outside.

I dont care what the party had to rely on to become a party of reckoning - I care more about what they do when they are in power. I have lived & worked in Congress ruled as well as BJP ruled states (including Gujarat), and have seen the difference first hand.

Zero_one

Can NRI also cast their vote via Consulates/Embessy ?

Punjabee in USA

^ I dont think India currently has the any procedures for absentee voting.

pallavpotter

Yeah, NRIs cant.

Victory

In terms of economic policies, there is not much difference between the BJP and the Congress. Both believe in liberalisation, industrialisation and globalisation.

It was the congress government that laid the path to progress by opening up of the Indian economic scenario. BJP govt of Atal Vajpayee took it forward by increasing spending in infrastructure. The GQ and airport projects are the examples. Gujarat's prosperity is due to a variety of reasons:

1) The People are entrepreneural. They did not allow the harsh environment to subdue them and you see where they are today.

2) Modi and Co are one of the best administrators in India, no doubt about that.

3) Similar to Gujarat, you find Karnataka which is now BJP ruled and is a progressive state.

Karnataka and Gujarat will be progressive irrespective of who rules, because it is due to the nature of the people. By providing stability and good policies only accelerates this process.

I am very sure even after 100 years, the most developed states will be the same that are today, the Bimar states (Bihar, UP etc) will continue to be relatively backward coz of the people and their policies.

Sheroz

Since every one of u are voting, i think i should give it a try too

yusufkhan1972

There are people like Shahnawaj Hussain and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi who are the muslim face of BJP. It is also to be noted that Muslims of India by and large accepted NDA rule and also the era of NDA was communally peaceful. Perhaps this is the negative campaigning that paints the party as against muslims in such ascenario the parties like congress create a fear psychosis among muslims to garner their votes. In my opinion more and more muslims should join BJP to reign in any adverse policy by some fanatic corner. I thoroughly admire Atal Bihari vajpayee. Such mature statesman are difficult to be found in whole subcontinent.