Braving rising temperatures, voters today turned up in good numbers in many of the 117 constituencies in 11 states and Union Territory of Puducherry in the sixth phase of Lok Sabha polls in which stakes are high for the Congress, BJP and number of other parties like AIADMK, DMK, NCP and Shiv Sena.
An electorate of 18 crore voters will decide the fate of 2076 candidates, including Mulayam Singh Yadav, Sushma Swaraj, Dayanidhi Maran, A Raja, Salman Khurshid and Shahnawaz Hussain.
In all elections to 349 of the 543 Lok Sabha constituencies will be completed in today's exercise in the nine-phased poll. Polling for the remaining 194 seats will be held on April 30 (89 seats), May 7 (64) and May 12 (41).
Counting of votes will take place on May 16.
Barring an incident of stone pelting at a booth in Anantnag Parliamentary seat in south Kashmir, which witnessed attack on political workers recently, polling was peaceful in the rest of the constituencies going to poll.
Voters turnout was impressive in Tamil Nadu which witnessed about 40 per cent of the electorate exercising franchise till noon.
Brisk polling was witnessed in various constituencies with Dharmapuri recording 42 per cent followed by Karur 39.6, Thanjavur 39.5 and Dindigul 39.8 per cent.
Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, MDMK founder Vaiko, Union Minister in the PMO V Narayanasamy seeking re-election in the Union Territory of Puducherry, Tamil actors Rajnikant and Kamal Haasan were among the early voters.
Expelled DMK leader M K Alagiri, Union Finance Finance Minister P Chidambaram, DMK Treasurer M K Stalin, Kanimozhi, former Union Minister Dayanidhi Maran seeking re-election in Chennai Central and N Srinivasan were other promiment personalities who exercised their franchise.
Malfunctioning of EVMs held up voting for a brief spell in Myladuthurai, Krishnagiri and few other places, but electoral authorities fixed the problem and ensured resumption of voting.
Maharashtra witnessed top corporate honchos and Bollywood celebrities making a beeline to cast their vote. An average of 7.83 per cent voting was registered till 9 AM in the state for 19 seats.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}