India sets dates for nationwide elections

The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by Narendra Modi, has the momentum heading into the polls.

A recent opinion poll said 63 per cent of Indians prefer the Hindu nationalist BJP over the incumbent Congress party, which has dominated Indian politics for most of the country’s history since independence in 1947.

The election is held over several weeks for logistical and safety reasons in a country of 1.2 billion. More than 810 million people are eligible to vote this year – an increase of 100 million from five years ago, according to the Election Commission.

Vote counting will be held on May 16 and most results are expected the same day.

Rahul Gandhi, the heir to the country’s Nehru-Gandhi political dynasty, is leading the Congress party’s struggling campaign.

Congress has been battered by corruption scandals, internal feuding and an inability to deal with a stumbling economy.

Mr Modi also is facing his share of controversy. The chief minister of Gujarat for 11 years, he is credited with turning the state into an industrial haven. But critics question whether the Hindu nationalist chief can be a truly secular leader over India’s many cultures.