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The 2014 general election in India is taking place in nine phases. It is the country's longest election in history, which runs from 7 April to 12 May 2014. Voting takes place in all 543 parliamentary constituencies. There are over 100 million first-time voters eligible to vote in these elections. The Election Commission of India has made arrangements for nearly a million polling stations, an increase of nearly 12 percent since last general elections in 2009.
Show all 40 1 /40In pictures: India elections 2014 In pictures: India elections 2014 India An Indian woman carrying her child displays the indelible ink mark on her finger after casting her vote at a polling station in Kunwarpur village, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of Jaunpur district, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh
In pictures: India elections 2014 India A Hindu holy man holds his election card as he waits in line to vote with others at a polling station in Varanasi
In pictures: India elections 2014 India A Border Police officer stands guard as Indians wait in line to vote at a polling station in Varanasi
In pictures: India elections 2014 India A woman casts her vote at a polling station in Varanasi
In pictures: India elections 2014 India Millions of Indian voters wrapped up a mammoth national election, braving the searing sun on the final day of polling with the Hindu nationalist opposition candidate seen as the front-runner for prime minister
In pictures: India elections 2014 India Nuns from The Missionaries of Charity queue as they wait to cast their vote during the final phase of India's national elections in Kolkata
In pictures: India elections 2014 India Women queue to cast their votes at a polling center on the final day of polling in Varanasi, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh
In pictures: India elections 2014 India A polling official (R) marks the finger of an elderly man with indelible ink before he casts his vote at a polling station in Kunwarpur village
In pictures: India elections 2014 India India's 814-million-strong electorate is voting in the world's biggest election which is set to sweep the Hindu nationalist opposition to power at a time of low growth, anger about corruption and warnings about religious unrest
In pictures: India elections 2014 India Indians vote in the ninth and final phase of a general election that includes the holy city of Varanasi
In pictures: India elections 2014 India A supporter of India's ruling Congress party has his body painted with colors of the party flag at an election campaign rally addressed by their leader Rahul Gandhi in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh state
In pictures: India elections 2014 India Supporters of the Chief Minister of the western Indian state of Gujarat and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi wave as he arrives to file his election nomination papers in Varanasi
In pictures: India elections 2014 India Indian man rides on a motorcycle in a street of downtown Varanasi ahead of the frontrunner's convoy
In pictures: India elections 2014 India Supporters cheer for the Indian election frontrunner during a rally in Rohaniya located in the outskirts of Varanasi
In pictures: India elections 2014 India A supporter of Indian election frontrunner Narendra Modi cheers as he listens to his speech during a rally in Rohaniya
In pictures: India elections 2014 India A supporter waits for the arrival of the Indian election frontrunner during a rally in Rohaniya located in the outskirts of Varanasi
In pictures: India elections 2014 India Narendra Modi speaks during a rally in Rohaniya
In pictures: India elections 2014 India Indian election frontrunner Narendra Modi makes a victory sign as his vehicle makes its way across the city on his way to his party headquartes in Varanasi after he addressed a rally
In pictures: India elections 2014 India Narendra Modi makes a victory sign as his vehicle makes its way across the city on his way to his party headquarters in Varanasi
In pictures: India elections 2014 India Indian residents of Varanasi wait to watch a convoy carrying India election frontrunner Narendra Modi in a streets of downtown Varanasi
In pictures: India elections 2014 India Indian Congress Party supporters wait alongside posters bearing the image of party Vice President Rahul Gandhi and President Sonia Gandhi at an election rally in Kolkata
In pictures: India elections 2014 India National Congress party Vice-President Rahul Gandhi (L) delivers lecture as he attends an election campaign event before ninth phase of the parliamentary elections, North of Calcutta
In pictures: India elections 2014 India A supporter of India's main opposition and Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party holds up a cutout of the party's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi during an election campaign rally in Varanasi
In pictures: India elections 2014 India A supporter of India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) displays masks of their prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi during a protest against the Election Commission in New Delhi
In pictures: India elections 2014 India Buddhist monks from the Drukpa wait outside a polling station to vote near the Hemis Monastery in Hemis, Ladakh
In pictures: India elections 2014 India India's 814-million-strong electorate is voting in the world's biggest election which is set to sweep the Hindu nationalist opposition to power at a time of low growth, anger about corruption and warnings about religious unrest
In pictures: India elections 2014 India Indian voters wait at a polling station to cast their ballots during voting in Amethi
In pictures: India elections 2014 India Indian women, carrying lamps on their heads for a wedding procession, display the indelible ink mark on their fingers on election day in Allahabad, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh
In pictures: India elections 2014 India More than 95 million voters are eligible to vote in 64 seats in the penultimate leg of the world's biggest general election that ends with results on 16 May
In pictures: India elections 2014 India A "sadhu" (Hindu holy man) casts his vote at a polling station at Ayodhya in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh
In pictures: India elections 2014 India Indian voter B.Shivamma (R) wait in a queue alongside others to cast her ballot in Veldurthi Mandal in the district of Kurnool some 250 kms from Hyderabad
In pictures: India elections 2014 India An election officer checks the identity of an Indian Muslim woman before allowing her to proceed for voting at a polling station in Haridwar
In pictures: India elections 2014 India An election officer checks the identity of a Sadhu, before allowing him to proceed to cast his vote in Haridwar
In pictures: India elections 2014 India Polling officials and residents look at voting registration lists outside a local polling in the village of Phyang Fulung, a community overlooking the Indus river valley near the northern Indian city of Leh
In pictures: India elections 2014 India Indian election workers check voting machines before leaving a central collection point for polling stations in Leh, Ladakh
In pictures: India elections 2014 India An Indian sadhu - holy man - displays his inked finger and voter card after casting vote in Ayodhya
In pictures: India elections 2014 India Polling officials leave for their assigned polling stations after collecting the electronic voting machines and other material from a distribution centre ahead of the ninth phase of general election in Faizabad district in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh
In pictures: India elections 2014 India Indian Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Prime Ministeral candidate Narendra Modi arrives in a helicopter at the parade ground to attend an election rally in support of local candidates in Allahabad
In pictures: India elections 2014 India Village women and children attend an election rally addressed by Congress party Vice President Rahul Gandhi in Amethi, in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh
In pictures: India elections 2014 India Elderly Indian voter Mohinder Kaur shows her inked finger after casting her vote at a polling station during the seventh phase of parliamentary elections at village Sultanwind near Amritsar
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