Indian Elections Enter Final Stretch

NEW DELHI: Polls opened Thursday in the penultimate round of India's marathon general election, with the two main parties going head to head in a series of key races that could swing the final outcome.

Voting began at 7:00am (0130 GMT) across seven states and the capital New Delhi, with most polling stations scheduled to close at 5:00pm.

Thursday's fourth round sees a straight battle between the ruling Congress party and its main rival, the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata party (BJP), in Delhi and the neighbouring states of Rajasthan and Haryana.

A significant swing in any of these races could have a major impact, with many observers predicting that just a handful of seats could separate the two parties once all the votes are counted.

The five-stage election staggered for reasons of logistics and security began on April 16 and ends on May 13, with the final results expected three days later.

This news published by www.24hrsalert.blogspot.com