Elections 2014: First phase of polling ends in Assam, Tripura

An estimated 72 per cent of the 64.4 lakh voters exercised their franchise peacefully in five Lok Sabha constituencies in Assam sealing the electoral fate of 51 contestants, including two union ministers in the first phase. (AP)

Election office sources said that the exact percentage would be available at night as thousands of people were still standing in queues when voting ended at 5 pm. (AP)

Tezpur recorded 73 per cent voting, Jorhat 75 per cent, Lakhimpur 67, Dibrugarh 70 and Koliabor 72 per cent, the sources said. (Reuters)

Prominent contestants whose fates were sealed in EVMS were union ministers and Congress nominees Paban Singh Ghatowar (Dibrugarh) and Ranee Narah (Lakhimpur), besides former union minister and sitting Congress MP Bijoy Krishna Handique (Jorhat).

An elderly woman watches as she stands in a queue to cast her vote during the first phase of elections in Dibrugarh, in Assam. (AP)

Chief Minister of Tripura Manik Sarkar cast his ballot for Lok Sabha election 2014 in Agartala on Monday. (PTI)

Chief Minister of Assam Tarun Gogoi with his wife Dolly Gogoi showing their mark after casting their vote at Jorhat district of Assam. (PTI)

Congress candidate for Kaliabor Lok Sabha Constituency Gaurav Gogoi shows his mark after casting his vote at a polling station in Jorhat district of Assam. (PTI)

There were reports of EVMs malfunctioning in Dibrugarh, Kaliabor, Tezpur and Lakhimpur constituencies. The machines were later replaced and voting continued uninterrupted, the sources said. (PTI)

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, his wife as well as his son and Koliabor constituency Congress candidate Gaurav Gogoi cast their vote in Jorhat, while union minister and contestants Paban Singh Ghatowar and Ranee Narah also exercised their franchise in Dibrugarh and Lakhimpur constituencies, respectively. (Reuters)

Former union minister and sitting MP Bijoy Krishna Handique, contesting as Congress nominee from Jorhat, also cast his vote with his family members. (Reuters)

With 6.5 lakh first time voters registered this time, long queues were seen in front of the polling booths. (AP)

Most of the early morning voters were women who said they wanted to cast their ballot before they get busy in household chores for the day. (Reuters)

The Congress, BJP, Trinamool Congress, AIUDF, AGP, AAP, SUCI, CPI(M), AIFB and SP are contesting in the five seats during the first phase of elections in the Congress-ruled state. (AP)

The state election office was webcasting the election process in each polling station. (PTI)

Among the 51 candidates are union ministers Ranee Narah and Paban Singh Ghatowar, sitting MP Bijoy Krishna Handique, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi's son Gourav Gogoi and Bhupen Kumar Bora from the Congress. (PTI)

Congress rebel and Independent candidate Moni Kumar Subba is also in the fray. (PTI)

For the BJP, its unit president Sorbananda Sonowal and Kamakhya Prasad Tasa are contesting, while AGP's nominees are Arun Kumar Sarma, Pradip Hazarika and Joseph Toppo. (PTI)

An electorate of 64,41,634, including 31,20,067 women, are expected to exercise their franchise at 8,588 polling stations. For the first time in the Northeast region and the third time in the country after Kashmir and Bihar, all polling booths have been declared smoking free. (PTI)

Security measures have been tightened for the polls with additional companies of security forces, including CRPF, deployed. The next phase of the polls will be held on April 12 for three Lok Sabha seats. (PTI)