Voting closes in Indian state elections seen as bellwether for Narendra Modi

Polling stations closed across five Indian states on Friday in local elections that could set the tone for the country's next general elections in May 2019.

The local elections in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana are being seen as a bellwether for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which swept the parliamentary elections in 2014.

Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan are currently ruled by the BJP, putting Modi's party in a head-to-head contest with India's main opposition Indian National Congress party.

Voting began on November 12 for the state legislative assemblies. Now that voting has ended, results are expected on Tuesday.

"The BJP faces major anti-incumbency in three states, but it's also a big test for the Congress party, which has lost every election to the BJP since 2014," political scientist Shyama Malik said.

Telangana, India's newest state, is ruled by a regional party, while the north-eastern state of Mizoram is ruled by the Congress opposition. Possible success of a coalition forged by the Congress in Telangana with a major regional party and a left party could encourage a larger coalition of opposition parties before the general elections, Malik said.

Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and Congress head Rahul Gandhi have all been star campaigners for their parties.

Major campaign issues have included corruption allegations against both parties in international defence deals; cancelling the debts of farmers; job prospects for Indian youth; and mob lynchings.