Why does voting last six weeks in India’s general election?

India is set to hold the world’s largest general elections, with nearly a billion eligible voters choosing 543 members of parliament. The election will span over 44 days, with voting spread across seven phases, due to the country’s vast size and geographical diversity. Over 1 million polling stations will be set up, guarded by more than 300,000 federal security personnel to ensure free and fair elections. The results are expected to be announced on June 4, with opinion polls suggesting a victory for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party.