In Pictures: World's Largest Democratic Election
Indian effort involved 44 days and seven phases for nearly 1 billion eligible voters
India carried out a 44-day, seven-phase election from April 19 to June 1, with the ballot count beginning June 4.
About 970 million people in the country of more than 1.4 billion, the world's most populous, were eligible to vote.
Here is a look back at the world's biggest election in photos.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves to supporters during a campaign road show on May 13 in Varanasi. (Photo: Getty Images)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi waves to supporters during a campaign road show on May 13 in Varanasi. (Photo: Getty Images)
Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi shows his ink-marked finger after casting his vote in New Delhi on May 25. (Photo: Getty Images)
Congress party leader Rahul Gandhi shows his ink-marked finger after casting his vote in New Delhi on May 25. (Photo: Getty Images)
Mamata Banerjee, front, the Trinamool Congress party leader and chief minister of the eastern state of West Bengal, and Mahua Moitra, wearing red, a Trinamool member of parliament, campaign in Kolkata on May 30. (Photo: Getty Images)
Mamata Banerjee, front, the Trinamool Congress party leader and chief minister of the eastern state of West Bengal, and Mahua Moitra, wearing red, a Trinamool member of parliament, campaign in Kolkata on May 30. (Photo: Getty Images)
Atul Bora, the president of the Asom Gana Parishad (Assam People's Association), participates in a bike rally in Guwahati in the northeastern state of Assam on May 5. (Photo: Getty Images)
Atul Bora, the president of the Asom Gana Parishad (Assam People's Association), participates in a bike rally in Guwahati in the northeastern state of Assam on May 5. (Photo: Getty Images)
Election officials carry electronic voting machines over a bamboo bridge in Assam on May 6. (Photo: Getty Images)
Election officials carry electronic voting machines over a bamboo bridge in Assam on May 6. (Photo: Getty Images)
Election officials learn about voting machines in Jaipur, Rajasthan state, on April 18. (Photo: Getty Images)
Election officials learn about voting machines in Jaipur, Rajasthan state, on April 18. (Photo: Getty Images)
Women line up at a polling station in Jaipur on April 19. (Photo: Shinya Sawai)
Women line up at a polling station in Jaipur on April 19. (Photo: Shinya Sawai)
Kashmiri women search for their candidate on a list posted outside a polling station on the outskirts of Srinagar. (Photo: Getty Images)
Kashmiri women search for their candidate on a list posted outside a polling station on the outskirts of Srinagar. (Photo: Getty Images)
A woman gets her finger inked before casting her vote in the West Bengal district of Alipurduar on April 19. (Photo: Reuters)
A woman gets her finger inked before casting her vote in the West Bengal district of Alipurduar on April 19. (Photo: Reuters)
A woman clad in a burqa shows her ink-marked finger after voting in Kairana, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, on April 19. (Photo: Reuters)
A woman clad in a burqa shows her ink-marked finger after voting in Kairana, in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, on April 19. (Photo: Reuters)
The sun sets over Bengaluru on April 27. (Photo by Getty Images)
The sun sets over Bengaluru on April 27. (Photo by Getty Images)
The media monitoring room at the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer in Bengaluru on April 23. (Photo: Reuters)
The media monitoring room at the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer in Bengaluru on April 23. (Photo: Reuters)
Supporters of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) display placards bearing portraits of Modi in New Delhi on May 1. (Photo: Getty Images)
Supporters of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) display placards bearing portraits of Modi in New Delhi on May 1. (Photo: Getty Images)
An elderly man and his wife head out to vote in the Ladakh territory's village of Warshi, home to just one family and five eligible voters, on May 20. (Photo: Reuters)
An elderly man and his wife head out to vote in the Ladakh territory's village of Warshi, home to just one family and five eligible voters, on May 20. (Photo: Reuters)
Voters wait in Khagaria in the northeastern state of Bihar on May 7. (Photo: Getty Images)
Voters wait in Khagaria in the northeastern state of Bihar on May 7. (Photo: Getty Images)
Voters pose for a picture with their inked fingers after casting their ballots in Guwahati on May 7. (Photo: Getty Images)
Voters pose for a picture with their inked fingers after casting their ballots in Guwahati on May 7. (Photo: Getty Images)
A large portrait of Modi is displayed by some Hindu devotees riding boats to witness the daily evening ritual of Ganga Aarti on the Ganges River in the temple town of Varanasi on May 12. (Photo: Getty Images)
A large portrait of Modi is displayed by some Hindu devotees riding boats to witness the daily evening ritual of Ganga Aarti on the Ganges River in the temple town of Varanasi on May 12. (Photo: Getty Images)
A man takes a picture with a Modi look-alike at a BJP campaign event in New Delhi on May 9. (Photo: Getty Images)
A man takes a picture with a Modi look-alike at a BJP campaign event in New Delhi on May 9. (Photo: Getty Images)
A performer dressed as a Hindu mythical character dances in Varanasi on May 31. (Photo: Getty Images)
A performer dressed as a Hindu mythical character dances in Varanasi on May 31. (Photo: Getty Images)
A woman arrives at a polling station in New Delhi on May 25. (Photo: Reuters)
A woman arrives at a polling station in New Delhi on May 25. (Photo: Reuters)
Election officials set out from a distribution center to bring voting machines to polling stations in the West Bengal city of Howrah on May 19. (Photo: Getty Images)
Election officials set out from a distribution center to bring voting machines to polling stations in the West Bengal city of Howrah on May 19. (Photo: Getty Images)
A police officer asks voters to line up properly at a polling station in the Jafrabad area of Delhi on May 25. (Photo: Reuters)
A police officer asks voters to line up properly at a polling station in the Jafrabad area of Delhi on May 25. (Photo: Reuters)
Paramilitary troopers at a closed market in Kashmir during the fourth election phase on May 13. (Photo: Getty Images)
Paramilitary troopers at a closed market in Kashmir during the fourth election phase on May 13. (Photo: Getty Images)
BJP supporters wait for Modi to arrive in Patna, in the eastern state of Bihar, on May 25. (Photo: Getty Images)
BJP supporters wait for Modi to arrive in Patna, in the eastern state of Bihar, on May 25. (Photo: Getty Images)
Modi waves during a campaign road show in Varanasi on May 13. (Photo: Reuters)
Modi waves during a campaign road show in Varanasi on May 13. (Photo: Reuters)
A woman stands on a man's shoulders as supporters of Modi gather ahead of his arrival at a campaign event in Mumbai on May 15. (Photo: Reuters)
A woman stands on a man's shoulders as supporters of Modi gather ahead of his arrival at a campaign event in Mumbai on May 15. (Photo: Reuters)
Election officials and porters carry voting machines past a house to a remote mountain polling station in Almi, a village in the Chamba district of the northern state of Himachal Pradesh, on May 30. (Photo: Reuters)
Election officials and porters carry voting machines past a house to a remote mountain polling station in Almi, a village in the Chamba district of the northern state of Himachal Pradesh, on May 30. (Photo: Reuters)
A woman shows her inked finger outside the polling station in the village of Warshi on May 20. (Photo: Reuters)
A woman shows her inked finger outside the polling station in the village of Warshi on May 20. (Photo: Reuters)
The sun rises over the river Ganges at Varanasi on June 1. (Photo: Satoshi Iwaki)
The sun rises over the river Ganges at Varanasi on June 1. (Photo: Satoshi Iwaki)
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