An Indian political leader has begun his nationwide anti-corruption campaign, setting off Tuesday on a 38-day journey across northeastern Bihar state.

As supporters chanted slogans, Lal Krishna Advani, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party's senior leader, said he wants to raise consciousness about the need for clean politics and good governance and to restore people's faith in democracy.

The 83-year-old Hindu nationalist blamed the Congress-led government for growing corruption and said he wants to spread the message in India that “enough is enough”, and that people will not tolerate graft any longer.

The ruling Congress party called Advani's campaign a ploy to force mid-term elections, which are not due until 2014. Some described his journey as an attempt to project himself as a candidate for the prime minister's post if his party wins in the 2014 polls.

The New Delhi government is under mounting public pressure to crack down on graft following a series of multi-billion-dollar scandals in telecommunications, sports and mining.

The scandals triggered massive protests, including a 13-day “fast-to-death” hunger strike by 74-year-old social activist Anna Hazare, that brought India to a standstill last month and forced parliament to agree to tougher anti-corruption legislation.

On Monday, some of India's top corporate leaders sent an open letter to top Indian politicians, saying that “almost every interface of the common man with public officials is impaired by corruption.” They called for reforms in areas such as judiciary, police and land acquisition.