The third phase of the month-long elections took place on Thursday. This phase included Kashmir and Mumbai so security concerns were high. There were also higher tensions in Gujarat; the Indian Supreme Court just ordered a new investigation into the 2002 communal riots. The Court specifically ordered the investigation of Gujarat Chief Minister, Narendra Modi. Modi is a member of the Hindu-nationalist BJP and has been accused in a petition filed by the widow of a murdered Muslim politician. (The Atlantic recently did a feature on Modi.)
From AFP's story:
In Kashmir, all eyes were on the number of voters. A strong turnout would deal a blow to separatist groups who have called for a poll boycott to reinforce opposition to Indian rule in the Muslim-majority region.
"Security is the only issue. It's the only reason people are stepping out to vote, especially in this area. We have seen it, we have felt it and we know all about it," Chintan Sakariya told AFP after voting in south Mumbai.
But national security is not a priority issue everywhere, with the bulk of India's 714 million voters likely to cast their ballots on local issues or according to their caste and religion.
Among other states voting Thursday were parts of impoverished Bihar and populous Uttar Pradesh in the north, Gujarat in the west, the southern rural state of Karnataka, and leftist-dominated West Bengal in the east.
(Photo from BBC News. More pictures from the third phase of the Indian election are available here.)
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