India's 2024 general elections, which took place over six weeks between April 19 and June 1, were the most important the world has ever seen.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi hopes to win a third consecutive term, but opposition parties have said Indians risk losing many freedoms if he remains in power.

The main challenge in 2024 comes from the Indian National Alliance for Inclusive Development (India), a coalition of opposition parties including the once-dominant Congress party.

Prominent politicians in this group include Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, as well as siblings Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi, whose father was former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Their mother, Sonia Gandhi, is a powerful opposition leader, but she is not expected to campaign as hard as she did in 2019.

Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) is part of the coalition, along with several prominent regional parties.

The alliance includes more than two dozen parties in total.

The National Democratic Alliance (NDA) is a coalition of parties led by the BJP and orients itself towards center-right politics.

It was founded in 1998 and is currently ruling India.

Mr. Modi can say that India's global position has improved thanks to its growing economy and closer relations with the United Stateswho wants India to be its ally against China.

He recently introduced generous social programssuch as the provision of free grain to 800 million of India's poorest people and a monthly allowance of 1,250 rupees ($16; £12) to women from low-income families.

And he promised an increase in welfare benefits for women, three million more government jobs and more apprenticeships for university leavers.

He also promised to stop India's “slide towards autocracy”.

Minority groups say they often face discrimination and attacks, and have been forced to live as “second-class” citizens under Mr Modi's rule – an allegation the BJP denies.

Voting took place in different parts of India over seven days: April 19, April 26, May 7, May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1.

The results are announced on June 4.

Voting was staggered to allow security personnel to monitor polling stations across the country.

Millions of electronic voting machines were used, allowing citizens to choose between candidates or choose “none of the above.”

Once people voted, they were marked with indelible ink to prevent them from voting again.

The ink stains skin and nails purple when exposed to sunlight, stays on for about two weeks, and is almost impossible to remove.

There are a total of 543 seats in Parliament, so a party or alliance needs more than 272 seats to form a government.

The Lok Sabha chooses the Prime Minister, who in turn chooses the government ministers.

India is the the most populous country in the worldwith 1.4 billion people, and 969 million of them were able to vote in this year's elections, or about one in eight people in the world.

Members of the Lok Sabha are elected for a five-year term to represent a single constituency, with the winner being the candidate with the most votes.

India covers 3.3 million square kilometers and electoral rules stipulate that there must be a polling booth near every human habitation.