People Power Party (PPP), a political outfit for supporters of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra,was ousted in a bloodless fifteen months ago. Thaksin would return from self-exile in London said on Friday he could be back in February if voters handed the party a majority in the 480-seat parliament.
Political Analysts say the army and the royalist establishment, which Thaksin supporters blame for the coup, will try to stymie a PPP-led government by seeking to disqualify its candidates or tie up the party in legal challenges.The army and its proxies are expected to push for a coalition led by the Democrats, the main opposition during Thaksin's five years in power.
Coup maker General Sonthi Boonyaratglin, now deputy prime minister in the interim government he appointed after the September 2006 coup, urged Thais to vote for "good people and those who are loyal" to the monarchy.
Rival groups, the pro and anti-Thaksin camps have said they will take to the streets if they observe the other side has unfairly gained an upper hand in Sunday's polls.
Corruptible practice in Vote buying is rampant in Thai elections. Nation newspaper reported on Sunday authorities were investigating nearly 160 cases of alleged vote fraud.Major street protests may surge another military coup as intellectual propound.
Political unstability and uncertainty has worried the country's King Bhumibol Adulyadej, who inspired the soldiers,police to use their spiritual "strength" to pull the nation out of its political mess.
Last year's coup is the eighteenth in seventy five years of on-off democracy failed to dilute powers of Thaksin, an ethnic Chinese telecoms billionaire who won landslides in 2001 and 2005 on the back of cheap healthcare and handouts to farmers.
An election Thaksin called in 2006 to rout street protests against him was later annulled.Despite his lengthy exile, the banning of his party Thai Rak Thai and inconclusive attempts to prosecute him for corruption, Thaksin remains the central figure in the political arena.
Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva, whose party may win only 120 seats according to polls, alluded to Thaksin in his final campaign speech on Friday, saying a vote for the PPP was a vote for someone who had "cheated the nation".
Thai results
1.The Palang Prachachon Party won 228 seats.
2.Democrats Party won 166 seats.
3.Chart Thai Party won 39 seats.
4.Puea Pandin Party won 26 seats.
5.RuamJai Thai Chart Pattana won 10 seats.
6.Matchimathipataya won 7 seats.
7.Pracharaj won 4 seats.
Election commission Seretary general Suthipol Thaweechaikaram said polling was 70% as 32 million voters casted their right of franchise.With Lamphun province in North Thailand with maximum voting of 88%.
Nksagar