Bloody Start to Indian Elections as Maoist Rebels Kill 17

[tekisui]

Source: Times Online

The world’s biggest democratic exercise got off to bloody start today with Maoist rebels killing at least 17 people as India began voting in a month-long general election that looks certain to produce another fragile coalition government.

The parliamentary polls are spread over five polling days between today and May 13 so that all of India’s 714 million registered voters can cast their ballots at more than 828,804 polling stations across the country.

Up to 2.1 million security personnel have been deployed to prevent another terrorist attack like the one on Mumbai in November, whose only surviving perpetrator, Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, went on trial in the city yesterday.

But that did not stop the Maoists, also known as Naxalites, who have a strong presence in 170 of India's 602 administrative districts, mainly in central and eastern India, and have threatened to disrupt the poll and cut off the hands of anyone who votes.

Police said Naxalites – named after the village where they launched their movement in 1967 – killed five election officials in a landmine attack in the eastern state of Chhatisgarh and kidnapped four more in the neighbouring state of Jharkand.

They also killed at least 12 police and paramilitary officers – and scared off many voters – in several attacks on polling stations and security forces in the states of Chhatisgarh, Jharkand, Orissa and Bihar.

more: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6105367.ece