Battle of the ages on Indian election trail
India's two main political parties have pitted youth against experience as they launch their campaigns ahead of month-long elections beginning April 16.
The battle to win the hearts and minds of the world's largest electorate began Monday with leaders of the ruling Congress and the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) criss-crossing the country.
Kick-starting the campaign for the Congress was star campaigner Rahul Gandhi, the 38-year-old great-grandson of India's first premier Jawaharlal Nehru and son of former prime minister Rajiv Gandhi.
The charge for the Hindu nationalist BJP was led by former home minister Lal Krishna Advani who, at 81, is hoping to grab the prime minister's post for the first time.
Their contest for India's 714 million voters will straddle 28 states, dozens of regional languages and at least six major religions.
Gandhi, still seen as a greenhorn by many despite his illustrious lineage, offered a populist message at rallies in the rural belt of western Maharashtra state, vowing to keep working for development and the poor.
Since its surprise victory in 2004 elections, the Congress-led government has focused "all programmes and policies on the common man", he said, highlighting its flagship rural employment programme and a 15-billion dollar loan waiver scheme for debt-ridden farmers.
The official Congress candidate for prime minister is incumbent Manmohan Singh, who is 76, and the party hopes Gandhi's youth will attract the estimated 100 million first-time voters taking part in the coming election.
At another meeting, Gandhi attacked Advani's party for criticising the government's record on national security.
India was rocked by a series of attacks last year, including the November Mumbai siege, which was blamed on Pakistan-based militants, and security is one of the election's major issues.
"Terrorism is one of these things that the opposition remembers only when the elections are near," Gandhi said.
Advani, speaking in eastern Orissa state, pledged to get tough with Pakistan.
"Pakistan has been waging proxy wars after failing to win any of the wars against India," he said. "We're committed to fight it."
Advani has looked inexhaustible on the campaign trail and has seized every opportunity to show that his age has not slowed him down.
He strikes a dynamic pose on the BJP's election posters and was photographed in Wednesday's papers lifting hand weights at a recent event to recruit students under slogan: "He has the experience of 80 and the enthusiasm of 20."
On Thursday Advani campaigned in the eastern Bhubaneshwar city before heading off to Uttar Pradesh state, traditionally a key election battleground.
"India needs a strong, stable and honest government to tackle the daunting challenges of economic crisis, price rises, job losses, the plight of farmers and terrorism," he told crowds of supporters.
Gandhi's stump speech has also become clear, and on Thursday he was in the impoverished state of Bihar to push home Congress's message that it would prioritise the needy if it retains power.
The party, he said, was committed to "walk the path of development hand-in-hand with the poor, Dalits and Adivasis (tribal groups)".
Comments