Total voter turnout in the national election was 64.9%, the national election commission said, up from 58% in the last national vote in 2014. Gandhi questioned the way the election was conducted by the autonomous Election Commission, saying the election schedule was manipulated to help Modi’s party. In Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, voters lined up outside polling stations early Sunday morning to avoid the scorching heat, with temperatures reaching 38 degrees Celsius (100 Fahrenheit). While the election, which began April 11, was largely peaceful, West Bengal, located in eastern India, was an exception. Voter turnout in the first six rounds was approximately 66%, the Election Commission said, up from 58% in the last national election in 2014.

Source: National Post May 20, 2019 01:07 UTC