On 19 April Indians commenced voting  for their next parliament, with Narendra Modi seeking a third term. Opinion polls favour his BJP party and its allies over an opposition alliance of over two dozen parties including Congress. The election is unfolding amidst bitterness, with opposition leaders alleging an unfair playing field. The numbers are mindboggling: a staggering 969 million voters (almost one-eighth of the world’s population) are eligible to vote, electing 543 MPs. The process will run in seven phases over six weeks: results will be announced on 4 June. Election commissioner Rajiv Kumar has vowed to ‘take democracy to every corner of India’, with some polling booths in the unlikeliest of places. Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, is seen as a key battleground. The outcome of this monumental electoral process will shape India's political landscape for the next five years.