First phase of India polls: 40pc voter turnout in first six hours

An estimated voter turnout of 40 percent was recorded in the first six hours of voting today as India began a six-week polling in Lok Sabha elections covering 102 seats across 21 states and union territories, according to figures compiled from electoral offices in states.

Barring sporadic violence in West Bengal's Cooch Behar and an IED blast in Chhattisgarh that left a CRPF commandant injured, the polling has so far been peaceful.

The voting began at 7:00am and will end at 6:00pm, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

Election officials said the highest turnout till 1:00pm was recorded in Tripura (53.04 percent) and the lowest in Lakshwadeep 29.91 percent.

Voters began queuing up at polling stations hours before they were allowed in at 7:00am in the first phase of election in 102 constituencies of 21 states.

Nearly 970 million voters will elect 543 members to the Lok Sabha during the staggered elections that run until June 1. The votes will be counted on June 4.

West Bengal recorded a turnout of 50.96 percent till 1:00pm.

However, polling was marred by violence in the Cooch Behar constituency where ruling Trinamool Congress and BJP workers clashed with each other.

In ethnic strife-torn Manipur, around 45.68 percent of polling was recorded.

In Chhattisgarh, over 42 percent of the electorate cast their votes in Naxal-hit Bastar Lok Sabha constituency where an assistant commandant of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was injured when an improvised explosive device (IED) planted by the outlawed activists went off in Bijapur district.

A CRPF jawan deployed on poll security duty was also injured when a shell of an under-barrel grenade launcher (UBGL) accidentally exploded in Bijapur district.

In Tamil Nadu, where BJP is desperately trying to make an inroad, more than 39 percent polling was recorded.

Arunachal Pradesh saw 34.99 percent of the total 8,92,694 voters exercising their franchise. Though the turnout was moderate in the morning hours due to inclement weather, it picked up pace with the weather improving.

Around 32 percent of the 75 lakh voters in four Lok Sabha constituencies of Bihar exercised their franchise till 1:00pm.

Braving incessant rains, 43.11 percent of voters exercised their choice in the first six hours of polling in Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur parliamentary constituency where federal minister Jitendra Singh is in the fray.

In Rajasthan, over 33 percent of voting took place till 1:00pm, Uttarakhand saw over 37 percent polling till 1:00pm, Maharashtra (32.36 percent), Madhya Pradesh recorded a voter turnout of 44.18 percent, Uttar Pradesh (36.96 percent), Meghalaya 48.9, Mizoram 36.67, Nagaland 38.83, Puducherry 44.95 and Sikkim 36.82.