The outcome of Friday’s voting across 88 constituencies in 13 states with 160 million voters will be crucial for the BJP as it includes some of its strongholds.

By Dhanya Skariachan, Chris Thomas and Nikunj Ohri BENGALURU/KOTTAYAM/MATHURA, India (Reuters) - India began voting on Friday in the second phase of the world's biggest election, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his rivals raise the pitch of the campaign by focusing on hot-button issues such as religious discrimination,

Muslims worry Modi’s party will rely on familiar tactics of drawing on religious divisions as it battles Congress to to retain seats in Karnataka

PM Modi criticized INDIA bloc parties in Bareilly for wanting religion-based reservation via Constitution change. Mentioned Congress's survey plans and Manmohan Singh's 2006 statement favoring minorities in resource allocation.