An estimated 66 per cent of the electorate today 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. Arunachal Pradesh saw a much higher polling of 72 per cent respectively. He described today's polling as very satisfactory.Notwithstanding the poll boycott call by naxals in Gadchiroli district of Maharashtra, an estimated 55 per cent of electorate cast votes while neighbouring Gondia, also hit by Maoist menace, gave a stronger rebuff to the ultra-Left with a 68 per cent turnout. Stray incidents of firing were seen in Gadchiroli district where polling could not take place at 22 polling stations as the staff failed to reach the destinations because naxals put up obstacles. A total of six incidents of naxalites opening fire were reported today. In the previous assembly elections held in 2004, Maharashtra had witnessed 63.44 percent voting. After a dull start in the morning, polling picked up in the afternoon with a large number of first time voters queued up before polling booths waiting anxiously to cast their maiden franchise in the Assembly elections. Speaking to reporters in Mumbai Director General of Police for elections Mr. A. N. Roy said that it is a victory that polling was peacefully completed in Maharashtra except for a few incidents in Gadchiroli district. The dull polling in Mumbai was marked by the presence of a number of Bollywood stars turning out to cast their votes. Leading them was the Bachchan family, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Salman Khan, Priyanka Chopra and John Abraham. Also, among the early voters in South Mumbai was industrialist Anil Ambani. Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray, who had given a miss in the Lok Sabha elections due to ill health, was guided to vote today by his son and party executive president Uddhav Thackeray. Mumbai, the country's financial hub, and its suburbs saw a turnout of 50 per cent.In Haryana 66 per cent of 1.31 crore voters today cast their votes, as polling drew to a close for the 90-member State Assembly today sealing the fate of 1,222 candidates, including 67 women. In 2005 assembly polls, the poll percentage was 71.96 per cent. The highest ever poll percentage recorded was 72.65 per cent in 1967, while the lowest was recorded in 1968 when it was 57.26 per cent. The Chief Electoral officer Mr. Sajjan Singh said a group clashed an some firing incidents took place in Nemkhera village in Mewat district, but this was not near to the polling booth. A polling agent of an independent candidate died outside the polling station after a clash with a rival at Hemu Mazra villae in the Ghulla constituency of Kaithal district this morning.In Arunachal Pradesh, staggering 72 per cent voters exercised their franchise in today's poll. According to Election Authorities the poll percentage may increase as reports from interior areas are awaited. People came out to cast votes as early as five in the morning. Polling was carried out amidst tight security. Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu along with two other Congress candidates have already been declared elected unopposed. Election was held for the remaining 57 seats with a total of 154 candidates in fray. Counting of votes will be held on the 22nd of this month.