Sharad Pawar casts his vote in Baramati, Priyank Kharge in Kalaburagi

In Chhattisgarh, seven constituencies are going to the polls today—Raipur, Durg, Bilaspur, Korba, Janjgir–Champa, Surguja and Raigarh. The last three seats are reserved for the Scheduled Tribes.

Fittingly, then, voters were greeted by tribal performers on drums in some booths.

Altogether 168 candidates are in the fray in the third phase in Chhattisgarh, which has 11 Lok Sabha seats in all. The BJP currently holds nine of these.

A total of 1,39,01,285 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the third phase, being held amidst heightened security

In Karnataka, Priyank Kharge and Prahlad Joshi among early voters

State minister Priyank Kharge of the Indian National Congress was seen casting his vote at the polling station in Gundugurthi village, in Kalaburagi constituency.

BJP minister Prahlad Joshi was seen praying and seeking the comfort of the ritual flames as he headed out to vote from his residence in Hubbali.

Sharad Pawar casts his vote in Baramati, Maharashtra

The supremo of the Nationalist Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) was out early to cast his ballot, presumably in favour of his daughter Supriya Sule, the NCP (SP) candidate here.

Sule faces off against the NCP's Sunetra Pawar, wife of her rebel cousin Ajit Pawar, who joined hands with the BJP in the state government.

Ajit and Sunetra Pawar were also both seen casting their vote.