Bhubaneswar, Apr 11 (IANS): Nearly 22 per cent of the 60.03 lakh voters cast their ballots in the first four hours of polling on Thursday for the four Lok Sabha and 28 Assembly seats in Odisha in the first phase, an election officer said.

Voting began at 7 a.m. and will end at 5 p.m.

Braving the scorching sun, people were seen making a beeline outside the polling booths to cast their rights.

In the first phase, a total of 60,03,707 voters comprising 29,72,925 male voters, 30,30,222 female voters and 560 transgenders are eligible to cast their votes in 7,233 booths.

Elections were underway for four parliamentary constituencies Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Berhampur and Koraput and 28 Assembly constituencies, which fall under the Lok Sabha seats.

A total of 2,375 booths have been identified as critical polling stations. Security has been beefed up with the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) at 777 booths.

While 26 candidates are in the fray to contest for the four Lok Sabha seats, there are 191 candidates in the Assembly segments.

Elections to the Lok Sabha and the state Assembly will be held simultaneously in Odisha in four phases on April 11, 18, 23 and 29. Counting of votes will be held on May 23.