Delhi diary

Over the next 30 days, over 700 million people will cast their ballots for candidates of all faiths, creeds and backgrounds as the battle is fought for the vacant 146 seats in the Lok Sabha (India’s lower house of Parliament).

Whoever emerges victorious, (and at this moment it seems it is the Congress Party’s to lose), will have immense but not insurmountable issues to try and resolve.

Top of this list are the outstanding issues of:

—poverty. With more than 25% of the population living below the poverty line it remains a serious problem which will no doubt be compunded by the current economic turbulence; and

—internal unrest, which is epitomised by the reinvigorated and ruthless campaign of the Maoist rebels.

This would be a significant in tray without the additional complication of foreign policy.

There remains the unresolved question of Kashmir (which is one of the first states to be voting today), frosty relations with Pakistan and the wider threats of terrorism, climate change, general security and the current global economic turbulence.

Let the voting begin.