Polling is progressing amidst tight security in Maharashtra, Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh with low to moderate turnout being reported in the first few hours.<br/>In Maharashtra, around 21% polling reported in first hour. However, there was an incident of firing by naxalites in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district at a patrol party near Kasansur in Aheri block shortly before polling commenced. Police said, no one was injured, adding security forces did not retaliate.<br/> <br/>Over 1.29 lakh state police and central forces have been deployed across the state where voting is being held for 288 Assembly seats. About ten per cent of the electorate exercised their franchise in the first three hours. Among the early voters were Union Ministers Sharad Pawar and Vilasrao Deshmukh, Governor S.C. Jamir, Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, BJP leader and former deputy chief minister Gopinath Munde, Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray, industrialist Anil Ambani and cricketer Sachin Tendulkar.<br/>As the polling began only few voters were seen at the booths in various parts of the Mumbai city for nearly an hour. However, small queues was seen in other booths in the urban parts. The rural parts did not have much turnout even after an hour of polling. <br/> The fate of 3,559 candidates, including Chief Minister Ashok Chavan, his deputy Chhagan Bhujbal and 37 ministers will be decided by the electorate comprising 7.56 crore voters. <br/> In Haryana, nearly ten per cent electorate cast their votes during the first three hours of polling to elect 90 MLAs .The Chief Electoral Officer, Mr. Sajjan Singh said polling is going on smoothly and people are gradually coming out to cast their votes. A lot of enthusiasm among voters was seen in the rural areas, where a large number of women also turned out to cast their votes. He said a group clash and some firing incident has taken place in Nemkhera village in Mewat district, but this was not close to the polling booth.<br/><br/> A polling agent of an independent candidate died outside a polling station after a clash with a rival inside a booth at Hemu Majra village in the Ghula constituency of Kaithal district this morning. Police said the clash took place when the victim came<br/>forward to help a blind voter to exercise his franchise. The polling was suspended for sometime at the polling booth, but commenced after order was restored.<br/> Among the early voters were Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, who exercised his franchise in his native Sanghi village in Rohtak district. INLD Secretary General and Dabwali candidate Ajay Chautala, Kiran Choudhry of Congress, besides former Chief Minister Bhajan Lal and his son and Haryana Janhit Congress (BL) chief Kuldeep Bishnoi are prominent among others who have cast their votes.<br/> More than 1.31 crore eligible voters, including 59 lakh women, will decide the fate of 1,222 candidates including 67 women who are in fray for 90 Assembly seats in the state. As many as 13,524 polling stations have been set up across the state and among them 3,214 have been identified as vulnerable.<br/> In Arunachal Pradesh, polling for 57 assembly seats is progressing peacefully. Elaborate security arrangements have been made and security forces are keeping strict vigil in vulnerable constituencies. AIR Itanagar correspondent reports that, in the first four hours, around 35 per cent voters have exercised their franchise. Voters are standing in long queus to cast their votes. Governor General (Rted.) J.J. Singh said that conducting free and fair elections is the strength of Indian democracy. Speaking to reporters after casting his vote at Itanagar, the Governor congratulated voters for participating in large number. <br/> Meanwhile, there are reports of damaging an EVM at Ziro in Lower Subansiri district by the supporters of one political party.<br/> Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu and two other Congress candidates have already been elected unopposed from the three seats in Tawang district.<br/> An electorate of 7.25 lakh are eligible to cast their votes for 151 candidates.<br/> The Election Commission said the hour fixed for conclusion of poll in Arunachal Pradesh and in some constituencies of Maharashtra is 3 PM. In Haryana, polling will end at 5 PM. <br/> Counting of votes in all the three states will be taken up on the 22 nd of this month.