Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India - May 7, 2024

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, favourite to win a third term in the country's general election in the face of a fragmented opposition, voted amid criticism from the opposition who accuse him of exacerbating religious polarisation. India's polling stations closed on Tuesday evening to conclude the third phase of the general election, for which some 170 million voters had been called, amid a severe heatwave that exceeded 40 degrees in some areas.

Elections for the 543 seats in the Lok Sabha, India's lower house of parliament, will last 44 days until June 1, and the result to be announced three days later will decide Modi's future as leader of the country. Simultaneous polls would be impossible for security forces to monitor in India, especially in areas characterised by high levels of political violence, such as the state of West Bengal.

Surrounded by security personnel and supporters, Modi voted in Ahmedabad, in his home state of Gujarat in the west of the country, where he began his political career and served three times as chief minister. Analysts were already tipping the 73-year-old as the winner before the polls began. The prime minister emerged from the polling station and showed one of his ink-marked fingers to a cheering crowd of supporters.

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Modi arriving at the polling station;
2. various of Modi voting;
3. various of Modi after voting;
4. Modi talking to journalists;
5. various of people lining up to vote in India.