Lok Sabha Election Results: Counting of votes to decide on ‘Modi versus rest' today

The counting of votes for the seven-phase elections to India's lower house of parliament, the world's biggest democratic exercise, will take place today, bringing the curtains down on a bitterly-fought contest which the country rarely witnessed.

The counting will begin at 8 am and trends are likely to start coming in by afternoon, while results are expected by the evening, an official said.

For the first time in Lok Sabha polls, the EC will tally vote count on Electronic Voting Machines with voter verified paper audit trail slips in five polling stations in each assembly segment of a parliamentary constituency.  

Out of the 543 Lok Sabha seats, elections were held in 542 constituencies as the EC had cancelled polls to the Vellore constituency on the ground of excessive use of money power.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, several union ministers, Congress President Rahul Gandhi, UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and SP chief Akhilesh Yadav are among key leaders who contested the polls.