Maoist rebels have attacked polling stations and destroyed voting machines, Islamist militants have called for an electoral boycott, but politicians on India's campaign trail are more concerned by another threat during India's month-long general election.
Candidates have requested metal nets and extra security to protect them from shoe-hurling protesters, after footwear has emerged as the weapon of choice for disgruntled voters.
Yesterday, Lal Krishna Advani, the Bharatiya Janata party's (BJP) prime ministerial candidate, became the latest target for bombardment. The missile – a wooden slipper of the type usually worn by Hindu priests and religious leaders – was thrown by an angry party worker at a meeting in the central state of Madhya Pradesh. It missed by some way but the incident was the third shoe-throwing incident in 10 days and has prompted the authorities to step up protection further.
More than 250,000 police officers are being deployed to provide security for the polls which began yesterday, but now party workers have been asked to remove shoes at meetings and security staff have been advised to be extra-vigilant, including keeping tabs on journalists at press conferences.
Authorities in Gujarat built a special safety net to keep shoes out as Narenda Modi, chief minister of the BJP-ruled state, began his speech at a rally this week.
Yesterday's incident was just the latest in a string of shoe-throwing protests against political leaders, including then US president George Bush and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.
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