Indian state votes amid violence

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RAIPUR, (India), Nov 14: ( Agencies): A part of India's Maoist rebel-hit east voted in state elections Friday, the first of a string of elections seen as a mini-referendum on the ruling Congress Party ahead of national polls next year.
The beginning of a crucial round of state elections in India has been marred by outbreaks of violence.
Maoist rebels have snatched voting machines, kidnapped polling officials and set off a landmine in the central state of Chhattisgarh, police say.
The police say that they have had gun battles with rebels in at least six places in the state.
The election is the first in a series of votes that may determine whether the government calls an early general poll. A general election must be held by May but could be called earlier.
Voting in six mostly central and western states will take place over six weeks, amid signs of economic slowdown. Chhattisgarh is one of at least 13 states in India where Maoist rebels are active.
In the first stage of voting in Chhattisgarh, voters are casting their ballots in 39 of 90 constituencies.
In the Konta and Narayanpur areas in the state's Bastar region where the rebels have a strong presence, Maoists stopped polling officials travelling to the polling stations and stole electronic voting machines, the police said.
Rebels have abducted polling officials in the Katekalyan area, the police added.
There are reports of a landmine blast, set off by the rebels, in Konta area. No casualties have been reported yet.
Correspondents say that key issues in the election include rising prices and security following a spate of bomb attacks blamed mostly on Islamist militants.
Apart from Chattisgarh, the states that will go to the polls are Madhya Pradesh, Delhi, Mizoram in the north-east and the western desert state of Rajasthan.
For security reasons disputed, Jammu and Kashmir will vote district-by-district in seven phases over nearly as many weeks.
If the governing Congress party does well, it may want to build on the results and call an early poll in February.
However, a poor performance might prompt the government to delay the vote until May, the end of its five-year parliamentary term.
Whichever party, Congress or the main opposition BJP, does better may find it easier to secure alliances with regional parties before the general election - of the utmost importance when building a post-election governing coalition.
The BJP faces a tough challenge from Congress in Madhya Pradesh, Chattisgarh and Rajasthan because incumbent administrations in Indian states often do badly in elections.
Observers will also be closely watching the outcome of the vote in Indian-administered Kashmir, which during the summer was the scene of large anti-India protests.