Polling is underway for the second phase of Lok Sabha elections. Voting is taking place for six Lok Sabha constituencies in North Eastern states in this phase.

Of these, two seats each are in Arunachal Pradesh and Meghalaya and one each in Manipur and Nagaland. Voting for the lone contituency in Mizoram, which was also scheduled for today, has been postponed till Friday.

Polling is also taking place for 49 Assembly seats in Arunachal Pradesh. 144 candidates including 7 women are in the fray for 49 of the 60 Assembly seats in the state. Voting, which began at 7 AM, will end at 5 PM.

Two Lok Sabha seats – Arunachal East and Arunachal West – are likely to witness multi-cornered contest with Congress, BJP, NCP and People's Party of Arunachal fielding their candidates, besides independents.

For Arunachal East Parliamentary seats, Union Minister and Congress candidate Ninong Ering is pitted against BJP nominee Tapir Gao and People's Party of Arunachal candidate Wangman Lowangcha.

Eight candidates are in the fray for Arunachal West Lok Sabha seat. Prominent among them are Congress nominee and sitting MP Takam Sanjoy and former MP and BJP candidate Kiren Rijiju.

For two Lok Sabha seats in Meghalaya – Shillong and Tura, 10 candidates are in the fray. Prominent among them are National People's Party chief PA Sangma, sitting Congress MP Vincent Pala, former student leader Paul Lyngdoh and church leader PBM Basaiawmoit.

The Shillong Lok Sabha seat is likely to witness a milti-cornered contest between ruling Congress, United Democratic Party and an independent candidate supported by two smaller regional parties. Tura is likely to witness straight contest between Congress and PA Sangma led NPP.

For Outer Manipur Lok Sabha seat, 10 candidates are in the fray. Prominent among them are sitting Congress MP Thangso Baite, Gangmumei Kamei of BJP, C. Doungel of NCP, Kim Gangte of Trinamool Congress, Soso Lorho of Naga People's Front, L Gangte of JD-U and MK Zou of Aam Aadmi Party.

For lone Parliamentary seat in Nagaland, three candidates are in the fray. They are Chief Minister Neiphiu of Naga People's Front, KV Pusa of Congress and Akheu Achumi of Socialist Party (India).