oting will be held on nine days, ending with May 12.
India will vote for its next government starting April 7. Voting will be held on nine days, ending with May 12. The results will be declared on May 16.
(World's biggest election: see India's voting schedule here)814 million people are eligible to cast their votes -- 100 million more than in the last elections in 2009.
(India, your move now. 10-point cheatsheet on elections)
State elections in Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim and Odisha will be held simultaneously.
(Elections 2014: Complete Coverage)The world's biggest voting exercise pits the BJP's
Narendra Modi against Rahul Gandhi, who is leading the campaign of the Congress as the party asks voters for a third consecutive term in power.
(Five reasons why Election 2014 is different)
Opinion polls have forecast that the BJP under Mr Modi will emerge as the largest party.
No single party has won a parliamentary majority since 1989 and the electorate has fractured in successive decades, turning regional leaders into powerful string-pullers.
The anti-corruption Aam Aadmi Party led by
Arvind Kejriwal is likely to be seen as an unpredictable element in this year's polls.
Just over a year since its formation, the party won enough seats in December's Delhi state elections to take power for just under two months.
DATES OF VOTING
April 7, April 9, April 10, April 12, April 17, April 24, April 30, May 7 and May 12.
(Also See - India Votes: Here's when you cast your vote)