Low to moderate turnout in Maha, Haryana and AP polls

Barring an incident of firing by naxalites in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district, polling was today by and large peaceful in the western state, Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh with low to moderate turnout being reported in the first few hours.

In Gadchiroli district where 17 policemen were shot dead by the Maoists on October 8, naxalites opened fire at a patrol party near Kasansur in Aheri block shortly before polling commenced. No one was injured, police said, adding security forces did not retaliate.

Over 1.29 lakh state police and central forces have been deployed across the state where voting is being held for 288 Assembly seats, DGP (Elections) A N Roy said.

Over ten per cent of the electorate exercised their franchise in the first three hours. Among the early voters were Union Ministers Sharad Pawar and Vilasrao Deshmukh, industrialist Anil Ambani, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray and cricketer Sachin Tendulkar.

The fate of 3,559 candidates, including Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, his deputy Chhagan Bhujbal and 37 ministers will be decided by the electorate comprising 7,56,34,525 voters.

In suburban Bandra, Congress MLA Janardhan Chandurkar from suburban Bandra was questioned by police over allegations that he distributed money to lure voters.

In Haryana, at least 10 per cent of the voters exercised their franchise in the first three hours of polling for 90 assembly constituencies, election officials said.

Long queues were seen in front of most booths in Arunachal Pradesh where elections to 57 seats in the 60-member Arunachal assembly are being held.

More than 1.31 crore eligible voters, including 59 lakh women, will decide the fate of 1,222 candidates in fray for 90 Assembly seats in Haryana.

Prominent contestants include Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, his ministerial colleagues -- Birender Singh, Kiran Choudhry and Randeep Singh Surjewala, former Chief Minister and INLD chief Om Prakash Chautala, INLD's Secretary General Ajay Chautala, and Haryana Janhit Congress supremo Kuldeep Bishnoi.

In Arunachal Pradesh, three Congress candidates, including Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu, have already been elected unopposed from the predominantly Buddhist district of Tawang.Around 7.25 lakh voters are eligible to cast their votes in favour of 151 candidates.

The Congress has put up its candidates in all 60 seats. UPA allies, NCP and Trinamool Congress, have put up 36 and 26 candidates respectively. The Trinamool Congress is contesting for the very first time in the state. The BJP has put up only 18 candidates.

Among the candidates are former Chief Minister Gegong Apang, who was elected seven times consecutively from Tuting-Vinkiong, Kameng Dolo who is trying his luck for the eighth time from Chayangtajo and former union minister Omak Apang from Pasighat West. All of them are contesting on Congress tickets.

Counting of votes in all the three states will be taken up on October 22.