Australia votes for new government

Around 15 million Australians would decide who will run the country for the next three years, as polling in federal elections got under way Saturday.

Opinion polls suggested a comfortable victory for the coalition led by Liberal Party's Tony Abbott, ending the Labor Party's six years in power, Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

Abbott cast his vote at Freshwater Surf Life Saving Club in Sydney Saturday morning while Prime Minister Kevin Rudd voted in the afternoon in his Brisbane seat of Griffith.

Abbott seems to be on track to guide his party-led coalition to a victory over the ruling party which is marred by infighting, reports said.

Rudd called the election after ousting Julia Gillard in a leadership challenge in June.

Around 14.7 million voters will elect 150 members of the House of Representatives, the lower house of Australia's parliament.

There are 1,188 candidates in the fray.

The elections will also see 40 members of the Senate or upper house getting elected through a form of proportional voting, reported Xinhua.

There are 529 candidates in fray for the Senate seats.