INDIA ELECTIONS

Chandrababu Naidu – Andhra Pradesh

Chandrababu Naidu, leader of the Telugu Desam Party, was chief minister of Andhra Pradesh from 1995 until 2004, winning middle-class acclaim for helping to promote develop Hyderabad, the state capital, as a major hub of India’s IT industry. But he lost power in the state to Congress Party rival in 2004, due to frustrated rural voters who felt he had neglected their concerns. Mr Naidu’s TDP was a member of the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance, but he has opted against forming any pre-poll alliance with the BJP ahead the current Parliamentary polls, and has joined a loose coalition of small parties calling itself ‘the third front.’

Andhra Pradesh will vote in two phases, starting April 16.

Sharad Pawar – Maharashtra

Mr Pawar began his political career in the Congress Party, but broke away in 1999, amid disputes over Congress’ decision to project Italian-born Sonia Gandhi as its prime ministerial candidate. Mr Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party, based in Maharashtra, has been a member of the current Congress-led ruling coalition, and he has served as its agriculture minister. But he has threatened to break away from the alliance with Congress, amid tough pre-poll negotiations over seat-sharing arrangements.

Maharashtra will vote in three phases, beginning on April 16.

J. Jayalalitha – Tamil Nadu

Once a smouldering Tamil movie actress, Ms Jayalalitha joined politics through her close relations with a Tamil-film-star turned politician M.G. Ramachandran, who installed in her in India’s upper house of Parliament in 1988. Jayalalitha served as chief minister of Tamil Nadu through much of the 1990s, but her AIADMK party is currently in opposition in the southern state. Ms Jayalalitha, whose popularity in her home state thought to be resurgent, publicly called for a poll alliance with the Congress, but was rebuffed by Congress, which is allied with Ms Jayalalitha’s rival DMK.

Tamil Nadu votes in one phase on May 30.

Kumari Mayawati - Uttar Pradesh

Ms Mayawati, chief minister of the state of Uttar Pradesh, leads the Bahujan Samaj Party, which was originally created to represent those at the bottom of India’s caste system, formerly known as ‘untouchables.’ Ms Mayawati has recently sought to expand the BSP’s appeal beyond India’s lowest castes, and to expand the BSP beyond its home state of UP. Ms Mayawati has said the BSP will not ally with any other party prior to the 2009 Parliamentary polls.

Uttar Pradesh, India’s largest state with 190m people and 80 seats in the lower house of Parliament, will vote in five phases starting April 16.

Mamata Banerjee – West Bengal

Ms Banerjee is a political firebrand and rabble-rouser. She spent her early career with the Congress party, but broke away in 1997 to found her own Trinamool Congress Party. Ms Banerjee’s career has been dedicated to losening the decades old grip of the Communist Party of India-Marxist on her home state of West Bengal. After a stormy on-again, off-again alliance with the BJP-led ruling coalition until May 2004, Ms Banerjee has allied with Congress to try to defeat the CPI-M in Parliamentary elections.

West Bengal votes in three phases, starting from April 30.

Nitish Kumar – Bihar

Mr Kumar, leader of the Janata Dal (United) took power as chief minister of the impoverished state of Bihar in 2005, bringing to end a 15-year-rule by the RJD led by Congress ally and Railway Minister Laloo Prasad Yadav. Mr Kumar’s JD was allied with the BJP coalition that ruled in India until 2004, and the BJP is backing his state government in Bihar. However, he has emphasized his ideological differences with the BJP’s so-called “Saffron Agenda,” pet Hindu issues, and could be wooed by other potential partners in a post-poll scenario.

Bihar will vote in four phases, starting from April 16