BJP party gears up to win early elections

New Delhi (AsiaNews) – Confidential sources told AsiaNews the Indian Electoral Commission has set Apr. 18 as the date for the elections of new members of parliament. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), currently in power, had pushed for early elections with respect to the natural October deadline, yet in actual fact preferring  a mid-March date.    

For the electoral commission it was important to stress its independence, saying it based its decision on the complexity of the organization. Elections in India, a country with one billion citizens, are conducted over a 5-6 day period. For the first time ever a new type of balloting will be experimented –electronic voting. The new voting method will likely be made available at all polling stations.     

The Congress-I opposition party protested against the dissolving of Parliament, stating the procedure was unconstitutional. Meanwhile, BJP party leaders believe the early elections will allow them to guarantees a new term in Parliament.   

In effect the whole situation seems conspired in favor of BJP's optimism:

1)       favorable monsoon rains guarantee excellent harvests and good internal consumption;

2)      the beginning of dialog with Pakistan – aside from any tension – seems to favor peace in the Kashmir region;

3)      economic growth figures are very positive: last year the country recorded an 8% increase in its GNP, one of the largest in the world.

To increase its chances for victory, in the last weeks of government the BJP party:

a)      reduced customs duties and consumer taxes in favor of urban classes;

b)     cut taxes on electrical power plant and supply projects, (electrical power is frequently cut off in many regions);

c)      provided farmers' with greater access to loans (70% of the population are farmers) ;

d)     launched measures to lend support to products having difficulties on the international market (e.g. tea and sugar)

The BJP party's victory seems obvious, even if the poorest group in the country's population and the dalit (caste "outsiders" suffering from the Hindu system) historically have guaranteed the Congress Party a good run in elections. To win votes from this sector the BJP party has recruited famous show business personalities as candidates, like the 27-year old Smriti Irani, who is married with a new born and two year-old child. Smriti Irani, due to her young age, characterizes well most Indian voters, especially young women.          

For some time the BJP party has proposed a "pro-woman party", even if this image clashes with the condition of women in traditional Indian society, of which the party is a great supporter. Smriti Irani promised she would defend women and key national-popular family issues.

Yet she made no mention the issue of selective abortion, the abortion of female fetuses to assure male descent in family clans. In some Indian states the ratio between males and females is seriously imbalanced: for every 100 males there are only 55-60 females. A balanced figure would call for 100-105 females.  (MdO)

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