Election freebies set to herald spending spree in rural India

New Delhi

AS India's most populous state heads to the polls, politicians are promising everything from smartphones to pressure cookers in a free-for-all that could signal the start of a spending spree in the country's hinterland.

In Uttar Pradesh, a state of 200 million people that begins voting in legislative elections on Saturday, parties including Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party are offering a range of freebies - which have also evolved to reflect a younger, more aspirational India.

The promises, combined with Mr Modi's infrastructure-focused fede…