An estimated 66 per cent of the electorate exercised their franchise in assembly elections in Maharashtra, Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh amidst sporadic violence in which one polling agent was killed.The Chief Election Commissioner Navin Chawla told reporters in New Delhi that Maharashtra registered 60 per cent turnout of voters while it was 66 % in Haryana.Polling for the 288-member Maharashtra Assembly passed off, by and large, peacefully, yesterday. Election officials said that around 60 per cent of the 7.56 crore electorate cast their votes to elect the 12th Assembly, Tuesday. Mumbai, the country's financial hub, and its suburbs saw a turnout of 50 per cent with 48 per cent in the 10 Assembly constituencies in the city, and 52 per cent in the 22 constituencies in suburbs. Barring a few stray incidents of group clashes, damage to the electronic voting machines, firing and disruption by Maoists in Gadchiroli district in Maharashtra, no major incident was reported elsewhere. The polling percent in Maoist-affected Gadchiroli was 55 per cent and in adjoining Gondia was 68 per cent. Chief Election Commissioner Navin Chawla described the elections as ‘very satisfactory.’ Polling parties of 22 polling stations in the Aheri (ST), Gadhchiroli (ST) and Armori (ST) constituencies could not reach their place of work due to obstructions by naxalites. Further decision on holding the poll there would be taken based on receipt of a report from the district. In Maharashtra, 3,559 candidates, including chief minister Ashok Chavan, his deputy Chhagan Bhujbal and 37 ministers were in fray for 288 assembly constituencies in the state. Election results are slated to be declared on October 22. According to tentative figures released by electoral office Haryana recorded more than 69 per cent polling yesterday. The percentage is expected to go higher after final tally. Inamwalla, Faridabad, Fatehabad around 75 per cent voters exercised their franchise whereas in Yamuna Nagar 77.5 per cent polling was recorded. The polling was marred by stray violence that left one person dead and 20 others injured. In Arunachal Pradesh, more than 72 per cent electorate exercised their franchise during the poll yesterday. The voting was by and large peaceful except some incidents of disruption in the voting. Polling started at 7 a.m. and ended at 3 p.m. However, voting time was extended in several polling booths to accommodate the large number of voters who had assembled before the deadline. Voting was held in 2005 polling stations across the state for 57 seats where 154 candidates from the different political parties fought election battle. AIR correspondent SoniKumar reports from Itanagar that the voting per centage is likely to increase as reports from several polling stations located in interior areas, are awaited. The per cengage of polling was as high as 95 per cent in certain booths in some constituencies. Repolling has been recommended in 23 polling stations in nine Assembly seats by the Returning Officer as several EGMs were either damaged or destroyed by election workers. Meanwhile, the State Ellection office said airlifting of EVMs from the far flung areas will begin today. The retrieval programme might continue till October 16. No report of large scale violence has been received in the state so far.