Photos: India votes in last phase of world’s largest electoral exercise

Voters in India have braved soaring temperatures to cast their ballots in the last phase of the country’s staggered elections to decide the fate of 904 candidates, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The polls on Saturday conclude the largest electoral exercise in the world that kicked off on April 19, with some 969 million people eligible to vote.

Fifty-seven seats across eight states and federally-run territories (union territories) are up for grabs in the seventh phase as voters elect members of parliament to the 18th Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament.

The previous six phases – April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20 and May 25 – recorded turnouts of 66.1, 66.7, 61, 67.3, 60.5 and 63.4 percent, respectively.

Results are expected on June 4.