India’s Ruling Party Not Expected To Win Vote

By bicycle, ox cart and rickshaw, tens of millions of Indians braved scorching heat Saturday to vote in a parliamentary election likely to defeat a centrist party that has held this diverse nation together for decades.

Five people were killed and scores injured in violence at the polls, but the disturbances were far less widespread than in previous elections, reflecting a dull campaign that lacked passionate issues.

An estimated 80 million voters - about 50 percent of those eligible - voted in the first phase of balloting that will go on for a month, election officials said. A total 590 million people are expected to vote.

Many polls published before the election predicted the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party would finish ahead of the governing Congress Party.

But the surveys also said no party would win a majority, meaning the president would have to invite the first-place finisher to form a coalition government with smaller parties.

Every mode of transport - from elephants and camels to helicopters - was used to deliver ballots to and from some of the 825,000 polling stations scattered over Himalayan peaks, deserts, river-streaked plains and tropical forests.

Because voting is staggered over several weeks, preliminary results won’t be known until mid-May. Voting took place Saturday in nine states, two territories and two island chains - about a third of the country.

Three opinion polls this week predicted that the Congress Party will have its worst showing in 48 years.