New Delhi - India on Saturday began counting millions of votes cast in its monthlong general elections even as its main political factions feared a fractured verdict and were seeking new allies.

The world's largest democracy awaited the official results of the five-stage elections, which were also being closely watched by the rest of the world as Asia's third-largest economy is faced with an economic downturn and instability in the region.

A party or coalition needs 272 seats in the 545-seat Indian Parliament's Lok Sabha, or House of the People, to form a government, but exit polls predicted a hung house.

The projections gave the Indian National Congress-led United Progressive Alliance an edge over the National Democratic Alliance, headed by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), but both blocs were expected to fall short of a majority.

According to the Election Commission, counting began at 8 am (0230 GMT) at 1,080 centres across 28 states and seven federally administered territories. The count was supervised by 60,000 election staff and security personnel.

About 60 per cent of India's 714 million registered voters cast their ballots in the elections that began April 16 and ended May 13.

The fates of more than 8,000 candidates, including those from 46 national and regional parties running for 543 parliamentary seats, are to be known Saturday. Two Lok Sabha members are nominated from the Anglo-Indian community.

Votes for state elections in Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Sikkim were being counted simultaneously.

Security was tight across troubled regions that included the insurgency-hit India-administered Kashmir and north-eastern states ahead of the announcement of the results.

Election Commission spokesman Rajesh Malhotra said the early trends were expected to be announced a couple of hours after counting began.

"The broad trends should be clear by 1 pm, and the bulk of the results should be in by 4 pm," Malhotra said.

Meanwhile, the Congress and BJP have been engaged in backroom talks with smaller, regional parties whose support is crucial in forming a new government.

Parties have about two weeks to hammer out their alliances because the Parliament must be constituted by June 2.

The Indian elections, the world's largest democratic exercise, saw a turnout of 428 million people, nearly equal to the combined populations of United States and Russia, in polling for which 2.1 million security personnel were deployed.

Although the conduct of the elections was largely successful, nearly 50 people lost their lives, the majority in Maoist rebel violence.