AHMEDABAD, April 19: Hundreds of Muslim families in Gujarat started leaving their homes in Hindu neighbourhoods on the eve of voting for national elections. They headed for homes of relatives in Muslim localities or to take shelter in public places such as railway stations and mosques despite the heavy deployment of security forces in the western state for Tuesday's polls.

"I do not want to take any chances as I have three daughters and a son. We have decided to spend two days at my brother's house," said Usnabanu Riyaz Ahmed, a resident of Ahmedabad's Jalampur Challi district. "If nothing happens, we will return back to our homes after the elections," she added.

Another Muslim woman, Noorbibi Mohammad Hanif Ghanchi, who does not have any other relatives in Ahmedabad, said she and her family had decided to stay in a railway station or a mosque for one or two days during the poll period.

"I am really scared of being here during the election. As it is, many of our names are not there on the voters' list. So we will not be voting Tuesday," said Ghanchi. India's national elections will be held on five dates in different parts of the country starting on Tuesday. Gujarat is among the states where the polls will be conducted in the first round.

The state's ruling BJP spokesman Jaynarayan Vyas said omission of some names from the voters' list was not intentional but due to human error. "It is not uncommon that many persons, whether they are Hindus or Muslims, may not have their names on the voters' list," he added.

Mr Vyas said Muslims had nothing to fear during the elections. At least 2,000 people, mostly Muslims, were killed in the Gujarat riots of 2002. Many Muslims have still not returned to their homes as they fear being attacked by Hindu fundamentalists. -AFP