of votes begins

India gets the last word, counting of votes begins

7:55 am IST

All eyes on outcome in UP

After having swept the state in 2014, the BJP faces its strongest challenge in Uttar Pradesh with a formidable opposition alliance. Put together, the SP-BSP-RLD social base of Yadavs, Muslims, Jatavs and Jats (in western UP) could outnumber, on paper, the BJP’s social coalition in a range of seats.

The party, however, has banked on Modi’s popularity, its own support base of upper castes, smaller OBC and Dalit groups, and its organisational might to take on the challenge. The state sends 80 MPs to the Lok Sabha.

7:52 am IST

Watch out for battles of West Bengal and Odisha

Anticipating losses in UP and some other states, the BJP focused on expanding its presence inBengal, which sends 42 Lok Sabha MPs. It has successfully become the principal opposition force in the state, and most observers believe its vote share will increase. The question, however, is if this will result in an increase in seats, and to what extent. In Odisha, too, the BJP launched a campaign offensive to wrest seats away from the BJD. Together, in 2014, the BJP had only won three of the 63 seats in the two states. The outcome today will be a measure of how much the party has penetrated the minds and hearts of people in the east.

7:45 am IST

Coming to a theatre in US: Indian election results, live

When the lights dim at around 9:30 pm US central time (8 am, Thursday in India), the audience