Election Results 2017: The day in pictures

As the day progressed, celebrations broke out even in cities and states not directly affected by the poll results. The Bharatiya Janata Party enhanced its political capital with the landslide victory in Uttar Pradesh, one of the country's most complex and crucial states. BJP's victory in UP, a state with a population of 204 million people, and Uttarakhand is being read as a vote of confidence for Prime Minister Narendra Modi despite his controversial move to invalidate 86 per cent of India’s currency. 

The Opposition parties stood decimated, though the Congress decisively reclaimed ground in Punjab. The picture for Goa and Manipur was unclear till the end of the day, with no majority for any of the competing parties. This has been a closely tracked election, not just in India, but also globally because of the “wave” associated with Modi. A photo essay looks at the events of the day of reckoning.