AHMEDABAD, July 19: The chief minister of Gujarat state, accused of failing to stop the killing of Muslims, quit on Friday and sought early elections.

The killings in February and March were India’s worst in a decade and the Congress party accused Chief Minister Narendra Modi of trying to exploit religious tensions for electoral gain.

Gujarat is one of the few states still ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which also heads the ruling national coalition, and analysts said early polls would help it win Gujarat on a wave of Hindu support.

“With the dreams of a stable, prosperous, developed and modern Gujarat, we will go to the people,” Modi, who took office last year, said at a news conference.

The BJP had an overwhelming majority in the 181-seat assembly, which was not due to be dissolved until early next year.

Critics of an early poll say the western state, one of India’s most prosperous, is still too volatile for elections. Thousands of Muslims remain in relief camps, too scared to go home.

“Elections are not due and Mr Modi wants to take advantage of a possible communal divide,” said senior Congress leader Kamal Nath.

Modi still needs the election commission’s approval to hold polls for a new state assembly. Chief Election Commissioner J.M. Lyndoh declined comment on whether he would agree to polls.

State governor Sundar Singh Bhandari told reporters he had accepted Modi’s resignation and said the government would act as caretaker until a new administration was in place.

Authorities say more than 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, died in the violence which erupted in February.

Human rights groups put the toll at more than 2,500 and say Modi failed to act quickly enough to curb the killings.

Modi claims his government contained the worst of the carnage within 72 hours.

But the Human Rights Commission said in a report it would be “naive to subscribe to that view”.

Survivors said police stood by or even egged on Hindu mobs armed with petrol cans, swords and even municipal lists of Muslims residents.—Reuters