Indian politicians escape attacks

Two leading Indian politicians have escaped apparent attempts on their lives on the eve of general elections.

A senior leader of the Telegu Desam Party was injured when his vehicle ran over a landmine in the southern state of Andhra Pradesh.

In northern Bihar state, police say four men in a jeep tried to run down the outgoing federal textiles minister, Shahnawaz Hussain. He escaped unhurt.

Security is a huge concern in the election, which begins on Tuesday.

This is the work of the People's War Group Andhra Pradesh police official P Nagi Reddy

BBC South Asia correspondent Adam Mynott says security is one reason why voting is being staggered over four main phases.

The move allows the authorities to move army and paramilitary forces around the country to the different areas being polled.

More than 75,000 police and paramilitary soldiers have been deployed in Andhra Pradesh to prevent election trouble, the authorities say.

Nowhere is security tighter than in Indian-administered Kashmir, where Muslim militants are boycotting the election.

On Monday a grenade was fired at a polling station, but there were no casualties.

Rebel boycott

Both men targeted in the suspected assassination attempts late on Sunday belong to the ruling coalition led by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Kinjarapu Yerran Naidu, a leader of the Telegu Desam Party in Andhra Pradesh, a key ally of the ruling BJP, suffered a hairline fracture to his spine when his sports utility vehicle drove over a landmine in his Srikakulam constituency, a police official said.

Maoists are at war with the Andhra Pradesh government

Two of Mr Naidu's guards were also injured in the incident.

Senior police official, P Nagi Reddy, blamed the attack on outlawed communist rebels.

"This is the work of the People's War Group (PWG)," he told the Associated Press news agency.

The Maoist PWG has threatened to disrupt voting in Andhra Pradesh, where state elections are also being held.

Its members are blamed for killing more than 20 Telegu Desam workers this year.

Last October, state chief minister Chandrababu Naidu narrowly escaped a landmine attack blamed on the group.

Bihar arrests

Meanwhile in Bihar, police have arrested two men in connection with the alleged attempt to kill Mr Hussain.

He was making preparations for a public meeting to be addressed by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee in the Kishenganj area of Bihar.

Mr Hussain has blamed a political rival for the attack, according to Associated Press.

More than 600 million voters will elect 543 members of parliament for another five years in India's general election.

On Sunday, President APJ Kalam urged people to vote without fear.

Polling begins in Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and 12 other states on Tuesday.

The final round of voting is on 10 May, with results announced three days later.