Indian general elections to start on April 19, results on June 4

Indians will start going to the polls on April 19 to elect lawmakers in the country's lower house of Parliament, the Lok Sabha, authorities announced Saturday. The marathon general elections will be held in seven phases, with results to be announced on June 4, three days after voting ends, according to officials from the Election Commission of India, announcing the schedule at a news conference in the national capital New Delhi. Counting is also expected to be completed on June 4, said Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar, adding that 2,100 observers would oversee the vote. Read also: Obscure trust links India's top businesses with Modi's election war chest According to the election authorities, 968 million people are currently registered to cast their ballot, including 18 million first-time voters, while a total of 543 Lok Sabha seats will be contested. Besides the general election schedule, they also announced when the state assembly election in Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh, and Odisha will take place.