Kohima/UNI: More than 35.34% voters exercised their franchise in the first four hours for the Nagaland Assembly polls on Monday.

Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio cast his vote at a polling station in Tuophema.

After casting his vote, the CM took to Twitter to urge people to do the same and said, "Voting is not just a right but a responsibility."

Nagaland BJP chief Temjen Imna Along cast his vote in his constituency in Alongtaki. Along currently holds the portfolio for Higher Education and Tribal Affairs in Nagaland. He is a first-time BJP MLA.

Voting is being done to elect 59 members of the 60-strong state Assembly, with the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Kazheto Kinimi having won uncontested from the Akuluto constituency after the Congress nominee withdrew from the race.

Around 13 lakh electors are eligible to choose their representatives out of a pool of 183 candidates in the North Eastern state.

There was a festive atmosphere in the state with people thronging the polling stations to cast their votes early in the morning.

Polling began at 7 am. The state had witnessed nearly 75 percent voter turnout in the 2018 Assembly polls and 90.57% in 2013.

Chief minister Neiphiu Rio, an NDPP nominee, is contesting from the Northern Angami-I seat in the Kohima district. He is up against Congress candidate Seyievilie Chachu for the seat. Deputy chief minister Yanthungo Patton of the BJP is in the fray from Tyui. BJP's N Jacob Zhimomi has been fielded from Ghaspani against Congress candidate Akavi N Zhimomi.

In view of the Assembly elections, the inter-state borders have been sealed to prevent undesirable elements from entering the state.

The ruling Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) and the BJP are contesting the polls on a 40:20 seat-sharing basis. The Congress, which ruled the state till 2003 and does not have any member in the current House, has fielded 23 aspirants.