In April, India's 814 million eligible voters are due at the polls. There are more than 1,600 registered political parties - some with very unexpected names.
B Kumar Sri Sri launched the Indian Lovers Party on Valentine's Day 2008. His bubble-gum pink posters announce the party's resolve to fight for star-crossed lovers from different castes and religious backgrounds, whose parents don't approve of their relationship.
He's putting up candidates in the state of Tamil Nadu in the forthcoming elections and is hopeful they will secure 40-50,000 votes - much more than the 3,000 votes he got in the 2011 state elections. The party is already registered in Tamil Nadu, but after the election he plans to get federal registration, using his own design - the Taj Mahal framed in a heart - as the party's symbol.
To register a party with the Election Commission, you need to supply a host of details, including name, address, number of members (at least 100), objectives and structure. Then, once the registration fee of 10,000 rupees (£100) has been paid, "there you are, you have a party," says Anil Verma, head of the Association of Democratic reforms, a Delhi-based think tank.
The Election Commission can reject the application if certain conditions aren't met, he adds, - for example, if the name has an obvious caste or religious reference.
The Religion of Man Revolving Political Party of India managed to get registered, though.
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