Millions of people across Britain voted on Thursday in one of the most contested general elections between Prime Minister Theresa May and Opposition leader Jeremy Corbyn being held under tight security after two deadly terror attacks by Islamists killed 30 people.
Voting was under way at more than 40,000 polling stations across the country. A total of 650 MPs will be elected. About 46.9 million people, including an estimated 1.5 million Indian-origin voters are registered to vote.
To form a majority in the House of Commons, one party must win 326 seats. Polls close at 10 pm UK time (2.30 am IST).
May, 60, called the election three years earlier than scheduled ahead of what are expected to be tough negotiations with the European Union over Britain’s exit from the 28- member-bloc.
Britain last voted in a general election in 2015, when then Prime Minister David Cameron won a majority with 331 MPs for the Conservative party. Since then the referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union (EU) in June 2016 has meant a very different political landscape.
Brexit led to Cameron’s resignation last year and May’s selection by the Tories as their leader.
This voting is the fourth major UK poll in three years, following the 2014 Scottish independence referendum, the 2015 general election, and the 2016 Brexit vote.