India begins counting 640 million votes after six-week election

Policemen stand guard outside a counting centre in New Delhi, India (Manish Swarup/AP)

India has started counting more than 640 million votes in the world’s largest democratic exercise, which was widely expected to return prime minister Narendra Modi for a third term.

The six-week-long election was seen as a referendum on the 73-year-old, who would be the second Indian leader to retain power for a third term after Jawaharlal Nehru, the country’s first prime minister.