ALLAHABAD, India, June 13, Reuter: India’s ruling Congress (I) Party defends seven Parliamentary seats on Thursday in by elections widely seen as a referendum on the government.

Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi faces a personal challenge in the contest in Allahabad, home town of the Nehru family which has produced three of the country’s six post-independence leaders.

Most of the Parliamentary contests are taking place in the northern Hindu heartland that has been the core of the Congress party which has dominated Indian politics since independence from Britain in 1947.

The by elections are likely to be last before general elections which must be held by the end of 1989.

Officials of both ruling and opposition parties say the results of Thursday’s polls will play a major part in determining the timing of general elections.

Gandhi, grandson of Jawaharlal Nehru, India’s first Prime Minister, and son of assassinated leader Indira Gandhi, is virtually on trial in Allahabad even though he is neither standing nor campaigning in the constituency.

It is here that his former cabinet colleague, now arch foe, Vishwanath Pratap Singh has decided to mount a challenge with the backing of most opposition parties.

Singh quit the cabinet in 1987 to campaign against the government, alleging it accepted bribes from Swedish and West German firms which won major defense contracts. The government denies the charges and Gandhi said neither he nor his family asked for or took bribes.

At a press conference on Monday, Singh renewed his corruption charges and accused Congress (I) of preparing to rig the poll.

“We are fighting against economic corruption. We can also fight against political corruption. The basis of our strength is people power. Congress is depending on money power,” he said.

Congress (I) put up Sunil Shastri, the quiet son of another former Prime Minister, to battle Singh instead of Gandhi’s movie idol friend Amitabh Bachchan, who resigned the seat after the opposition charged his brother with currency offences.

Allahabad is also crucial for a long divided opposition which has put up its strongest candidate in V.P. Singh, who has been campaigning from the back of a motorbike.

It is also important for Singh and his ambitions. If he wins the contest, his informal Jan Morcha (People’s Front) grouping will be able to claim the opposition leadership.

Article extracted from this publication >> June 17, 1988