KATHMANDU: Voting has started peacefully at 7:00am on Sunday as Nepal held the first phase of provincial and parliamentary polls in 32 mountainous and high hilly districts .

According to the Election Commission, voters are standing in the queues at their polling stations since early morning to cast their ballots. Security has also been tightened after a minor clash among the voters was reported in Jamune polling centre in Dolakha, police said.

Altogether ballots will be cast for 37 parliamentary FPTP constituencies and 74 provincial FPTP constituencies. At least 282 candidates are contesting for the feral parliament seats and there are 420 candidates who have also filed their nominations for the provincial constituencies, the EC informed.

The  32 districts that go to polls today include  Solukhumbu, Sankhuwasabha, Bhojpur, Okha

ldhunga, Taplejung, Panchthar,  Khotang, Nuwakot, Rasuwa, Dhading, Sindhupalchowk, Dolakha, Ramechhap, Mustang, Myagdi, Baglung, Manang, Lamjung, Gorkha, Rukum East, Rukum West, Rolpa, Jajarkot, Humla, Mugu, Jumla, Kalikot, Dolpa, Darchula, Bajhang, Bajura and Baitadi.

Our district correspondents reported that long queues were witnessed in various polling stations as the eligible voters eagerly waited for their chance to cast the ballots.

The EC has said that voters who did not have voter identity cards or who had lost their voter ID cards, could use any photo identity card issued by government offices such as driving licence, citizenship certificates, passports, land ownership certificates or voter ID cards issued in the 2013 Constituent Assembly elections,  to cast their votes. All voters who have entered the polling centres between 7:00am and 5:00pm would be able cast votes, it added.