India starts voting a fortnight from today

"The challenge is in terms of the geographical spread of constituencies but the polling staff is adequately trained," the official added.

The strength of the electorate has risen by nearly 100 million since 2009. A fifth of this will be 18-19 years old who, if they vote without fail, could be the catalyst for change.

Almost 11 million staff - teachers and government officials drafted for the purpose - will conduct the staggered polls in some 930,000 centres all over the country, armed with electronic voting machines.

Overseeing them will be hundreds of thousands of police and paramilitary personnel. As many as three million were deployed in 2009.

The first phase of voting will take place April 7 in two states in six of the total 543 constituencies. Seven constituencies spread over five states will see balloting April 9 and 92 constituencies in 14 states the next day.