Marathon Indian election closes

A monk casts a ballot near Leh, in the Himalayan region of Ladakh

Voting has ended in the world's largest democracy as tens of millions of Indians cast their ballots in a marathon three-week operation.

Officials say 55-58% of eligible voters turned out to vote in these elections, which is lower than in previous years.

The value of the rupee and shares on the Indian stock exchange fell at the prospect of a hung parliament.

This followed exit polls suggesting Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee's coalition not get an outright majority.

The opposition Congress Party said it was confident of victory.

"We thank the people of India for their support," Congress spokesman Abhishek Singhvi said.

Fresh voting

In a major development, India's independent election commission has cancelled the election in the high-profile Chhapra constituency in Bihar following evidence of vote-rigging and violence.

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Chhapra, which voted on 26 April, is witnessing a contest between a powerful regional politician, Laloo Prasad Yadav, and India's aviation minister, Rajiv Prasad Rudy.

A fresh vote will be held there on 31 May.

But voting has otherwise been peaceful and is considered to have been, overall, free and fair.

Over 200 million people were eligible to take part in Monday's polling - the biggest round of voting. Counting and results are due on Thursday.

The BBC's Nick Bryant in Delhi says this election has failed to catch the voters' imagination, with the turnout in earlier rounds being the lowest in decades.

President Abdul Kalam was among the first voters, casting his ballot in a special polling station at the presidential palace in the capital, Delhi.

"I feel beautiful to exercise my right to vote," the president said.

Opposition leader Sonia Gandhi and her daughter Priyanka also cast their votes in Delhi.

"We have put our heart into the campaigning. Three days remain for the results. Let us see," Priyanka Gandhi said.

Correspondents say voting began slowly but picked up during the day.

MONDAY'S VOTE 182 constituencies in 12 states More than 200 million voters 218,000 polling stations More than 2,000 candidates Map: Who votes when UK Indians campaign in Punjab

In sporadic violence a politician was shot dead outside a polling station in Punjab and three people were killed and 50 injured in West Bengal.

A policeman was also injured in a grenade attack in Indian-administered Kashmir. But the BBC's Binoo Joshi in Kashmir says most voters defied a call by separatists to boycott the polls.

Large numbers of women veiled in black outnumbered men in the town of Doda.

Nearly 41% of voters cast their ballot in the state, much higher than the last election in 1999.

Voting has been staggered over nearly three weeks to allow a massive security operation to unroll.

Banking on partners

Mr Vajpayee's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had less of a presence in most areas where voting took place on Monday and was relying on a strong showing by its regional partners.

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While West Bengal has traditionally been a stronghold of Indian communists, the battle in Tamil Nadu is between Congress and two regional parties allied to the BJP.

The BJP's fortunes depended largely on the appeal of a controversial actress-turned politician, Jayalalitha.

In 1998, she pulled out of the BJP-led government forcing snap polls in which Mr Vajpayee was re-elected but has since returned to the governing alliance.

With 39 parliamentary seats in Tamil Nadu analysts believe it could well hold the key to the next government.

Voting also took place in the national capital, Delhi, where the BJP won all seven parliamentary seats in 1999.

But Congress, which is in power in the state, is expected to pose a stiff challenge.

Low-key voting

Exit polls - which have not always been reliable in the past - suggest that the ruling coalition may fall short of a majority of parliamentary seats.

If that happens, the BJP will have to approach smaller parties to make up the numbers needed for an outright majority.

Analysts say if that happens, the next government could be less stable than the existing one.

Those jitters saw the Bombay Sensex and the National Stock Exchange both end two per cent lower on Monday.

Nevertheless, many observers believe it is unlikely major government policies, including peace talks with Pakistan, will be affected even by a change of government.