Aside from the economy, the BJP is campaigning on the need for a tougher government, and harsher anti-terrorism measures to combat cross-border terrorism and Maoist insurgents.

In play in nearly all the states will also be the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), a regional party that won power in Uttar Pradesh state with a base among Dalits. Its leader, Mayawati, is seeking to make her party a national force.

A good BSP showing could eat into Congress's traditional support from lower castes and set Mayawati up as a possible king maker after a coalition emerges from the general election.

All these parties will look at how voters, from jewellery makers in Rajasthan whose wages have been halved, to airline stewardesses facing sackings, react to a quietening economy.

"These elections are not just about the loss of jobs," said Swapan Dasgupta, a political analyst. "More than anything else, it's about the fear of losing your job."