NEW DELHI, Jan 9: India unveiled a raft of measures from cheap farm loans to investment plans for the elderly as election commission officials met to discuss how quickly they can get ready for an expected early election.

Friday's moves come a day after a 100 billion-rupee ($2 billion) package of tax cuts on imported goods aimed at wooing he middle class in the world's largest democracy.

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) national executive will consider the timing of the election at a two-day meeting from Sunday chaired by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee. The polls are due by October, but analysts expect them to be brought forward to late April or early May.

On Thursday, a meeting of the almost 20-strong coalition led by the BJP gave Vajpayee the power to call an election any time. With analysts tipping the BJP to cash in on the best economic conditions in several years, a strong showing in key state polls and a thaw with Pakistan, the independent election commission - which will set the actual dates - is clearing the decks.

Officials met in New Delhi to assess how quickly electoral rolls can be updated and logistics put in place.-Reuters