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| India state elections announced | India state elections announced |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Assembly elections will begin in five Indian states next month. | |
| Voting will be held in Rajasthan, Delhi, Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswamy said. | Voting will be held in Rajasthan, Delhi, Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswamy said. |
| Polling will take place from 14 November to 4 December. No decision has been made about Kashmir elections. | |
| Parliamentary elections are due in the first half of next year and analysts say the state polls will give a sense of how the electorate may vote then. | Parliamentary elections are due in the first half of next year and analysts say the state polls will give a sense of how the electorate may vote then. |
| No Kashmir date | No Kashmir date |
| Elections in Indian-administered Kashmir are not planned for now, the Election Commission said. | Elections in Indian-administered Kashmir are not planned for now, the Election Commission said. |
| "No decision has been taken with regard to the elections in Jammu and Kashmir. We are still assessing the situation," Mr Gopalaswamy said. | "No decision has been taken with regard to the elections in Jammu and Kashmir. We are still assessing the situation," Mr Gopalaswamy said. |
| The polling dates elsewhere are 14 November, 20 November, 25 November, 29 November and 4 December. | The polling dates elsewhere are 14 November, 20 November, 25 November, 29 November and 4 December. |
| Voting will be held in the central state of Chhattisgarh in two phases on 14 November and 20 November. | Voting will be held in the central state of Chhattisgarh in two phases on 14 November and 20 November. |
| The capital, Delhi, and the north-eastern state of Mizoram will vote on 29 November. | The capital, Delhi, and the north-eastern state of Mizoram will vote on 29 November. |
| Madhya Pradesh in central India will go to the polls on 25 November, while the western state of Rajasthan will vote on 4 December. | Madhya Pradesh in central India will go to the polls on 25 November, while the western state of Rajasthan will vote on 4 December. |
| The counting of votes will take place on 8 December for all states with electronic machines. | The counting of votes will take place on 8 December for all states with electronic machines. |
| Major issues | Major issues |
| Analysts say the assembly elections will test the political temperature before the general election which is due in early 2009. | Analysts say the assembly elections will test the political temperature before the general election which is due in early 2009. |
| India's governing Congress Party will be looking to return to power for the next five years while the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will be fighting to defeat the Congress. | India's governing Congress Party will be looking to return to power for the next five years while the main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will be fighting to defeat the Congress. |
| The global economic meltdown has had serious repercussions for the Indian economy and growth has been hit in the past year. | The global economic meltdown has had serious repercussions for the Indian economy and growth has been hit in the past year. |
| Rising inflation and increasing prices of essentials, including foodstuff, will be a major issue in the elections. | Rising inflation and increasing prices of essentials, including foodstuff, will be a major issue in the elections. |
| The deteriorating security situation will also be a consideration with voters in a country which has seen a series of bomb explosions in the last few months. | The deteriorating security situation will also be a consideration with voters in a country which has seen a series of bomb explosions in the last few months. |
| Many Indian cities, including Bangalore, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and the capital Delhi, have been hit by blasts recently. | Many Indian cities, including Bangalore, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and the capital Delhi, have been hit by blasts recently. |
| The BJP has been campaigning for a tougher anti-terror law to deal with the blast cases. | The BJP has been campaigning for a tougher anti-terror law to deal with the blast cases. |