Officials around India began Thursday the mammoth process of counting the roughly 600 million votes cast in the world's biggest election, with results due later in the day.

Men look at a television screen showing exit poll results after the last phase of the general election in Ahmedabad, India, May 19, 2019. (Photo: VCG)

If there is a clear trend, this should be evident by around midday (0630 GMT). Exit polls pointed to a victory for Prime Minister Narendra Modi but such projections have been wrong in the past.