Over a fifth of Hindus may not be voting in the forthcoming elections, with a further 35% still undecided according to new research from the Hindu Forum of Britain.

A possible reason for the general sense of apathy was that only 12% of those polled believed that the major political parties proactively consulted or engaged with faith groups.

And, whilst 39% of Hindus will base their voting decision on the candidates’ views, over a quarter (28%) would listen to the views of local community elders, those within the local temple or their local guru. Some 11% would be influenced by friends and family.

The Hindu community, in common with the rest of the country is equally split as to which party to vote for.

Labour is marginally in the lead (27%), with the Conservatives (25%) followed by the Lib Dems (21%). However, with 21% still undecided and with the prospects of a hung Parliament, the Hindu vote could be crucial in some constituencies.

When asked who would make the best Prime Minister, Gordon Brown came top, closely followed by David Cameron and Nick Clegg; though the research was carried out before the first TV debate.

Bharti Tailor, secretary general of the Hindu Forum of Britain, said: “It is very disappointing that so many Hindus have already decided not to vote. In the current political environment their vote could be pivotal in some marginal seats, so I would urge them to make their vote count.

“The research also sends a warning to whoever comes to power, that they must actively engage with faith groups. Too many in the Hindu community feel that politicians and decision-makers are failing to address many of their concerns, despite being the third largest faith group in the UK.”

Hindus in Britain number well over 750,000 and make a tremendous contribution to the country, far in excess of that suggested by their numbers. They are dispersed throughout the UK with sizeable concentrations in certain areas like the suburbs of London and the south east; Leicester, the West Midlands, Greater Manchester and Yorkshire.

The Hindu Forum of Britain is running a campaign – The Hindu Vote, Make it Count - to encourage the community to engage with their prospective parliamentary candidates and to air their views before making an informed decision as to which party to vote for.

As part of the campaign the HFB will be organising local hustings, distributing information through temples, community centres and other media to raise awareness of the importance of voting.