An estimated 50 to 55 per cent of the 17.5crore electorate on Tuesday cast their votes in the first phase of the Lok Sabha polls in 140 constituencies spread across 13 states and three Union Territories even as sporadic violence left 19 people, including a duty magistrate, dead.
The Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli recorded the highest percentage of voting (around 65 to 70 per cent) followed by Daman and Diu (60 to 65 per cent), Assam (60%), Bihar, Karnataka and Mizoram between 55 and 60 per cent each.
Braving Naxalite threat, an estimated 60 to 65 per cent of the 2.73crore voters exercised their franchise in Andhra Pradesh in simultaneous elections to 21 Lok Sabha and 147 assembly seats.
Jammu and Baramulla constituencies in Jammu and Kashmir witnessed a turnout of around 45 per cent despite militants' threat and a poll boycott call by separatists.
About 40-45 per cent voting was recorded in 24 of the 48 Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra. Manipur, Jharkhand, Gujarat, Orissa and Andaman and Nicobar saw a voter turnout between 45 and 50 per cent.
Around 50 per cent of the electorate cast their votes in Chhattisgarh, while Meghalaya witnessed between 50 and 55 per cent polling.
Bihar, which witnessed comparatively less violence, registered over 50 per cent turnout in 11 of the 40 constituencies, which went to polls.
The Election Commission said the polling was by and large peaceful but there was large-scale violence in Manipur, where re-polling would be held in 103 polling stations. There were reports of EVMs being snatched at various places.
Besides, polling officials could not reach 70 polling stations on time because of inclement weather and landslides.
Reports of violence came in from Manipur, Bihar, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand, where a Duty Magistrate was killed when Naxalites triggered a landmine blast in a village in Dhanbad. One ultra was killed in an encounter with security personnel in a separate incident in Jharkhand.
Four para-military personnel were killed in Manipur and two RJD supporters in Nawada district of Bihar. Six Naxalites were killed in encounters in Chhattisgarh.
Militants carried out a series of attacks on polling booths in Baramulla (in J&K) killing four persons, including a freelance journalist Kumar Bharti and two security personnel, and injuring many others.
In Gujarat, Congress candidate for Mehsana, Jeeva Bhai Patel's, car was damaged by a mob outside Lagnaj polling station.
Deputy Prime Minister L K Advani, External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha, former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, Union ministers Nitish Kumar, Jual Oram, Kashiram Rana and Harin Pathak, Ajit Jogi, were among the 1,100 candidates in the fray in the first phase.
Polls were held for all 26 parliamentary seats in Gujarat, 24 out of 48 in Maharashtra, 21 out of 42 in Andhra Pradesh, 15 out of 28 in Karnataka, 11 out of 40 in Bihar, 11 each in Chhattisgarh and Orissa, six each in Assam and Jharkhand and two each in Jammu and Kashmir and Meghalaya and one each in Manipur, Mizoram, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Dadar and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu.
Elections were also held in 147 of 294 assembly constituencies in Andhra Pradesh, 120 of 224 in Karnataka and 77 of 147 in Orissa.
Four para-military personnel were killed and three injured when People's Liberation Army militants attacked them at Sajik Tampak near Manipur-Myanmar border overnight. The insurgents also destroyed election material, including EVMs, official sources said in Imphal.
