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Voting has begun in the second phase of India's general elections amid massive security and a lockdown in parts of the main city in Indian-controlled Kashmir.

The city of Srinagar is one of 97 constituencies across 13 Indian states where voting was scheduled Thursday.

The election is taking place in seven phases over six weeks in the country of 1.3 billion people.

Some 900 million people are registered to vote for candidates to fill 543 seats in India's lower house of Parliament.

Voting concludes on May 19 and counting is scheduled for May 23.

The election, the world's largest democratic exercise, is seen as a referendum on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party.

Modi has used Kashmir as one of the top issues of his campaign.