Moderate to brisk polling was recorded in yesterday’s first phase of Lok Sabha elections spread over 91 constituencies in 18 states and two Union Territories.

Polling by and large remained peaceful with some incidents of sporadic violence and about 15 cases of damage of electronic voting machines. In all polling booths EVMs were used with VVPATs.

Tripura recorded the highest 81.8 per cent voting followed by West Bengal 81 per cent and Manipur 78.2 per cent. Though final figures of overall poll percentage are still awaited, Assam and Odisha recorded 68 per cent polling. In Mizoram, polling percentage is estimated to be 60 per cent and in Sikkim over 78 percent.

Eight Parliamentary seats in Uttar Pradesh, which went to the polls in the first phase, recorded 63.7 per cent voting. Bihar recorded 53 per cent polling while in Arunachal Pradesh voter turnout was 66 per cent.

Uttarakhand recorded 57.85 per cent polling.

In Chhattisgarh 56 per cent polling was recorded. In Maharashtra 56 per cent voting took place.Voting also took place for assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and 28 of the 147 member Assembly in Odisha.