This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-48328259
The article has changed 7 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| India election 2019: Exit polls suggest Narendra Modi back as PM | India election 2019: Exit polls suggest Narendra Modi back as PM |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is on course to win the general election, exit polls suggest. | India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is on course to win the general election, exit polls suggest. |
| The BJP and the main opposition Congress party battled it out with powerful regional rivals in a bruising campaign over seven phases of polling. | The BJP and the main opposition Congress party battled it out with powerful regional rivals in a bruising campaign over seven phases of polling. |
| Results will be announced on 23 May. Analysts warn exit polls have often been wrong in the past. | Results will be announced on 23 May. Analysts warn exit polls have often been wrong in the past. |
| Many saw the election as a referendum on Mr Modi who won a landslide in 2014. | Many saw the election as a referendum on Mr Modi who won a landslide in 2014. |
| Four exit polls saw big wins for the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA), predicting that it would win anywhere between 280 and 315 seats, far more than the opposition Congress. | |
| A party or coalition needs 272 to form a government. | A party or coalition needs 272 to form a government. |
| India votes 2019 | |
| The election began on 11 April and was held in seven phases for security and logistical reasons. With 900 million eligible voters, it is the world's biggest exercise in democracy. | The election began on 11 April and was held in seven phases for security and logistical reasons. With 900 million eligible voters, it is the world's biggest exercise in democracy. |
| Political parties have not commented on the projections so far. However as voting ended, there was a flurry of meetings by opposition leaders, sparking speculation. | Political parties have not commented on the projections so far. However as voting ended, there was a flurry of meetings by opposition leaders, sparking speculation. |
| What were the key issues this election? | |
| The economy is perhaps the biggest issue, with farming in crisis, unemployment on the rise and growing fears that India is heading for a recession. | |
| Under Mr Modi, the world's sixth-largest economy has lost some of its momentum. Growth hovers around 7% and a leaked government report claims the unemployment rate is the highest it has been since the 1970s. | |
| A crop glut and declining commodity prices have led to stagnant farm incomes, leaving many farmers saddled with debt. | |
| Many also see this election as a battle for India's identity and the state of its minorities. A strident - and at times violent - Hindu nationalism has become mainstream in the past five years, with increased attacks against minorities, including the lynchings of dozens of Muslims accused of smuggling cows. | |
| And national security is in the spotlight after a suicide attack by a Pakistan-based militant group killed at least 40 paramilitary police in Indian-administered Kashmir in February. India then launched unprecedented air strikes in Pakistan, prompting Pakistan to respond in kind and bringing the two countries to the brink of war. |