The world’s biggest election – with a likely turnout of some 600 million voters – got under way in India on Friday.
The elections for the Indian parliament, known as the Lok Sabha, will be held over the next several weeks in multiple stages, with results only being announced on 4 June.
The subcontinent is home to some 970 million registered voters.
The election will see the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), defending its Lok Sabha majority against the opposition Indian National Congress (INC).
Both parties have formed alliances with smaller parties and regional parties, with the BJP leading the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) and the INC leading the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA).
A BJP victory would secure a third term for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has been praised as a moderniser who has cut corruption in social grants and developed India’s infrastructure. He has also been criticised, however, for having centralised authority and eroded media and political freedoms during his 10 years in office.
Polling and political analysis point to a BJP and NDA victory. However, Indian elections have been notoriously difficult to poll in the past, and the possibility of the INDIA alliance achieving an upset is not being ruled out.
[Image: A BJP rally in the 2009 election: https://www.flickr.com/photos/aljazeeraenglish/3438534368]