Uttaranchal votes first time with enthusiasm

DEHRA DUN: In the first Lok Sabha election in the hill state of Uttaranchal, after it was carved out of Uttar Pradesh in November 2000, 45 per cent polling was reported.
Polling began at 7 am and picked up rather slowly with most areas having about 30 per cent polling till 1 pm. In the plains, a higher percentage of polling was noted whereas in remote hill areas, polling was low.
In Dehra Dun, polling registered till 1 pm was 29 per cent and gained momentum in the second half of the day.
Chief election officer N Ravishankar said polling in the hill state was peaceful and there were no reports of any violence.