'India’s elections, which kicked off on 7 April, will be, as always, a massive undertaking, spanning six weeks and nine separate phases to cover an estimated electorate of around 800 million people. The vote will shape India’s political landscape for the next five years and will be influenced by a stormy socio-political context, including protests over violence against women, a push for gay rights and concerns over rural deprivation, to name just a few issues.'