Mumbai/Chandigarh, Oct 15 (PTI): Maharashtra registered an over 40 per cent voter turnout while over 50 per cent voting was held in Haryana, which witnessed stray incidents of violence, in the first eight hours of polling on Wednesday in the riveting contest to elect assemblies in the two states.

In the five-cornered contest in Maharashtra, which has 8.35 crore voters, polling started on a brisk note, slowed down around noon but again picked up and over 40 per cent of the electorate had cast their votes by 3 pm.

Technical problems in electronic voting machines (EVMs) were reported from some polling booths in Nagpur city and Wardha district in Vidarbha, and Sewree in Mumbai. Voters in a Nashik booth also complained that the electoral rolls were not in order.

A policeman on election duty was killed after being struck by lightning in Avdeghat polling station of Savner constituency in Vidarbha, where polling in some parts was marred by rains.

The highest voter turnout was witnessed in Kagal constituency of Kolhapur district while the lowest was at Bramhapuri constituency in Chandrapur district, officials said.

In Haryana, two persons were injured in firing during a clash between Indian National Lok Dal and Bharatiya Janata Party supporters in Sirsa. A minor clash also occurred between the supporters of Haryana Lokhit Party and INLD workers in the district. HLP leader and former Haryana Minister Gopal Kanda is seeking re-election from Sirsa.

There were glitches in EVM machines at a couple of places in the state, which recorded over 50 per cent polling by 3 pm.

Among the early voters, in Mahasrashtra, were former chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, who cast his vote in Karad in western Maharashtra, from where he is a candidate, former Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar in Baramati, former Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde in Solapur, Leader of Opposition in Council Vinod Tawde in Mumbai and Supriya Sule, a Nationalist Congress Party member of Parliament along with her mother Pratibha Pawar.

Voters will decide the fate of 4,119 candidates in the fray in 288 seats in Maharashtra.

Counting of votes will take place on October 19.

Exuding confidence, BJP said the “Modi wave” will help it comfortably wrest the two states, while Congress leaders were optimistic that the voters will favour their party once again.

NCP claimed that the BJP had not lived up to the expectations of the people after the mandate it got in Lok Sabh elections and it will face the repercussions in Maharashtra.

”I am confident that people will choose Congress this time also for the work done in last 15 years,” Prithviraj Chavan said after casting his vote in Karad.

I&B Minister Prakash Javadekar, who cast his vote in Pune, said, “People are voting for change, good governance and decisive government which Narendra Modi has offered.”