Britain Faces Split Verdict, Indian Vote Key

LONDON: With a hung parliament forecast British elections, leaders of various parties are actively wooing the undecided voters, including among the 700,000-strong Indian community.

Surveys predict a split verdict. The balance of power and the country's future could be decided by a single seat. Punters say that the size of the smallest winning margin in a single seat would be just 29 votes.

A survey by BBC Asian Network/ICM says that nearly a quarter of Asian voters are yet to make up their minds. It also found that of those who had decided, 39 percent may change their minds before Thursday.

The survey indicates that the Asian vote in Britain, traditionally considered to lean towards Labour, is still up for grabs.

Asians constitute just about five percent of Britain's population but they are crucial in 168 marginal seats including Southampton, Oxford, Sherwood, Ipswich and Northampton.

The Tories secured only 16 percent of the ethnic minority vote in the last election, compared with 68 percent for Labour. But the scenario has been changing since 2010.

The Conservatives, under David Cameron's leadership, overhauled the party to shed its "nasty party" image. He opened the doors of 10 Downing Street to celebrate Eid, Diwali and Baisakhi.

Cameron promoted several Asian British, like Baroness Sayeeda Warsi, to the party's key posts. Cameron also elevated Indian-origin MP Priti Patel to a key post in the treasury.

Former banker Sajid Javid is wielding immense power as culture secretary and was the brain behind the installation of the Gandhi statue at London's Parliament Square.

The party has chosen 56 Black and Minority Ethnic (BAME) candidates in England and Wales. The list contains 12 candidates of Indian origin.
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