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Modi accused of poll law violation

Wednesday, 30 April 2014


India's Election Commission has accused the main opposition BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi of violating the election code.
He breached poll laws by flashing his party's symbol and making a political speech while voting was going on in the seventh phase of the election, it said, according to a news agency.
Mr Modi addressed journalists and supporters after casting his vote in his home state of Gujarat. He later posted a "selfie" of his inked finger on Twitter.
India's general election, with 814 million eligible voters, is the world's biggest exercise in democracy and the governing Congress party is battling the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for power. Mr Modi is ahead in all the opinion polls.
He was greeted by cheering crowds lining the streets and on rooftops as he arrived at the polling station in Ahmedabad, Gujarat's biggest city. Voting was held in all 26 seats in the state.
Andhra Pradesh also voted on Wednesday for the last time as a united state before it is divided on 2 June.
Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh were among seven states and two union territories where 139 million eligible voters had to make their choice between some 1,300 candidates contesting 89 seats on Wednesday.
"The BJP will form a stable government in Delhi soon," Mr Modi said after casting his vote.
"The Congress party has already conceded defeat... It is the end of the mother-son government," he added, in a reference to the Congress party chief Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul.