New Delhi, Nov 12 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP national President Amit Shah on Monday urged voters to take part in large numbers in the first phase of the polling process for 18 Assembly seats.

"The first phase of voting in Chhattisgarh is today. I urge all voters to take part in the great festival of democracy with full enthusiasm and in huge numbers," Modi tweeted.

The BJP President told voters to come out and exercise their franchise if they wished to maintain the momentum of development.

"I appeal all the voters to vote in huge numbers to maintain the pace of development, progress and good governance," Shah tweeted in Hindi.

The first phase of polling is for 18 seats in the Left-wing extremism affected districts of Chhattisgarh is underway.

The ruling BJP had lost 12 of the 18 seats in the 2013 Assembly polls. The remaining 72 constituencies will vote in the second phase on November 20. The counting is scheduled on December 11.