Modi Has Edge as World’s Biggest Election Nears End: India Votes

Each day, Bloomberg journalists take you across a selection of towns and cities as they gear up for the big vote.

Hi, this is Debjit Chakraborty, Bloomberg’s New Delhi bureau chief. Voting in the world’s largest, and possibly longest, election will end on Saturday. The fate of more than 904 candidates across 57 constituencies are set to be decided in the final of the seven phases of an election that stretched over 44 days, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s. While counting of the votes will be held on June 4, exit poll surveys will trickle in from 6.30 p.m. on Saturday giving early indication of the outcome. Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party is widely expected to win, even as the opposition coalition has put up a tough fight. Exit polls in India are notorious for missing the mark horribly, with the most prominent being the 2004 national election when BJP lost despite predictions of a landslide victory. Still, these will have some impact on trade in stocks and bonds when the markets open on Monday. Exit polls have been more accurate in the most recent elections. Indian stocks hit a high after exit polls predicted a win for Modi in 2014 and again in 2019. The markets have been extremely volatile in recent weeks.