India prepares for second phase of elections

WATCH VIDEO

Source: CCTV.com | 04-23-2009 09:18

India is preparing for the second phase of its elections. On Thursday, millions of Indians will vote in 13 of the 28 states.

In the western city of Pune in Maharashtra state, electoral officials were collecting special computers before heading out to polling stations.

Supporters of India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata  Party (BJP) wear masks of BJP leader Lal Krishna Advani  during an election campaign rally at Biaora, in the  Rajgarh district of the central Indian state of Madhya  Pradesh, April 22, 2009. India holds a general election  between April 16 and May 13.REUTERS/Raj Patidar

More than 1.3 million electronic voting machines will be used in over 828-thousand polling stations. The results are not expected until May the 16th. India's constitution says a new parliament has to be in place by June the 2nd.

Authorities have deployed tens of thousands of security forces across India to prevent violence during the elections.

On Wednesday morning, around 200 anti-government rebels hijacked a passenger train with over 400 people on board in Latehar district in the eastern state of Jharkhand. Rebels also blew up a school and a health center in the village of Narayanpur in the state's Chatra district on Tuesday night. The first phase of polls last week saw more than three dozen incidents which left eighteen people dead, including 10 security personnel.

Editor:Zhang Yun