NEW DELHI: India is currently holding its general elections in nine phases, the longest election in the country’s history, from April 7 to May 12 to constitute the 16th Lok Sabha.
Some 814 million eligible voters will elect members of the 543-seat Lok Sabha in the world’s biggest elections. Any party or coalition needs a minimum of 272 seats in the parliament to be able to form a government.
The result of this election will be declared on May 16 before the 15th Lok Sabha completes its constitutional mandate on May 31, 2014.
The main contest in the elections is between the Congress Party, led by Rahul Gandhi, and main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), led by the nationalist leader, Narendra Modi.
The polling for the first four phases of Lok Sabha elections has already been held while the polling for the next and fifth phase will be held in 121 constituencies of 12 states on April 17.
Fifth phase of Lok Sabha elections
In the first phase on April 7, the polling took place in six constituencies in the northeastern states of Assam and Tripura. In the second phase on April 9, voting was held in six seats across the four states of Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Meghalaya and Manipur in northeast of the country.
In the third phase on April 10, the polling was conducted in all seven constituencies of the Indian capital Delhi, all 20 seats in the southern state of Kerala, and 10 seats each in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra and Orissa.
Likewise, in the fourth phase on April 12, voting was held in seven constituencies of four states including Goa, Assam, Tripura and Sikkim.
