India's general elections enter final phase

India's mammoth nine-phase general elections entered its final phase Monday, with polling being held in 41 parliamentary constituencies across three states. Polling began at 7 a.m. (local time) in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh and the eastern states of West Bengal and Bihar, an Election Commission official said, on condition of anonymity. In Uttar Pradesh, all eyes are on the Varanasi constituency from where the country's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party ( BJP)'s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and the anti- graft Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal are contesting the polls. The general elections began on April 7 and will end this evening, with results due to be announced on May 16. Opinion polls have suggested that the BJP will form the next government, with Modi as the prime minister, while the ruling Congress party is facing anti-incumbency due to its inability to tackle corruption and inflation.