Karnataka Voters Head to Polls in Test for India's Modi

People in Karnataka, India are voting in an election for 224 state legislature seats.
Pre-poll surveys show the opposition Congress party favored over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s governing Hindu nationalist party.
The outcome is likely to be an indicator of voter sentiment ahead of national elections expected by May next year.
The BJP is battling to retain the only southern state where it has ever won power due to anti-incumbency, inflation, allegations of corruption and poor infrastructure development in the state.
Karnataka has strong caste-based voting patterns and the dominant Lingayat community comprises 17% of the population and influences the outcome in nearly 100 seats.