MILLIONS of Indians began voting today in the world’s largest election, which will last six weeks.

People began queuing outside polling stations hours before they opened for the election, in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is seeking a rare third term in power.

Nearly 970 million voters — more than 10 per cent of the world’s population— will be selecting 543 members of the Lok Sabha, the lower house of parliament, to serve for five years.

Voting will take place nationwide until June 1 and the ballots will be counted on June 4.

Mr Modi and his Hindu chauvinist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are up against a broad alliance led by the main opposition Indian National Congress and including a host of regional parties.

The more than 20 parties in the India alliance, called India, have not put forward a candidate to replace Mr Modi if they win.

Voters have said they are casting their ballots for a change in the federal government amid rising prices, unemployment and religious polarisation.

In southern India, Mary Das, 65, said: “First thing I came to vote for is to have a country without any religious disharmony.

“In Tamil Nadu — Hindus, Muslims, Christians, we’re all together. And this unity should grow.”

Atinder Singh, 26, from the north-western state of Rajasthan, said: “If the new government is able to solve unemployment, then it will be good.

“People are migrating from this region to earn a living.”

The run-up to the election saw peaceful protests against the BJP policies crushed by the police, threats issued to media outlets and opposition politicians arrested for alleged corruption.