New Delhi, Apr 17 (ANI): Indian daily newspapers projected the first phase of 15th Lok Sabha elections as by and large ''peaceful'' as large number voters came out to cast their votes despite of naxal threat and the fear of communal violence.

The first phase of polling witnessed the killing of people in violent incidents at 86 polling stations, mostly in the Naxalite affected areas of Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Bihar, Jharkhand and Maharashtra.

New Delhi, Apr 17 : President Pratibha Patil on Friday issued the notification for the fifth and last phase of Lok Sabha elections.

In this phase, polling will be held in two seats in Jammu and Kashmir, nine seats in Punjab, four seats in Himachal Pradesh, eleven in West Bengal, five in Uttarakhand, 39 in Tamilnadu, 14 in UP and one each in Puducherry and Chandigarh.

The last date for filing nomination is April 24 and scrutiny will take place on April 25.

The election will be held on May 13.

New Delhi, April 16 : The Election Commission of India on Thursday expressed satisfaction on the first phase of polls held in 15 States and two Union Territories by describing it "more or less peaceful".

In the first phase, 58 to 62 per cent of 143 million voters exercised their right to vote.

The Thurdsay''''s polls were held for 124 Parliamentary seats, spread over 15 states and two Union Territories and 154 assembly segments in Andhra Pradesh and 70 in Orissa.

New Delhi - Indian equity markets closed in the red Thursday with the bellwether Sensex index shedding 3 per cent and falling below 11,000 as monthlong general elections got under way.

The 30-share sensitive Sensex index of the Bombay Stock Exchange fell 337.33 points, or 2.99 per cent, to close at 10,947.4 as a fractured verdict and a weak coalition government was expected to result from the elections.

New Delhi, Apr. 16 (ANI): Union Ministers P Chidambaram and Mani Shankar Aiyar and Tamil Nadu PCC Chief K Thangkabalu figure in the list of 14 Congress candidates from Tamil Nadu released here by the Central Elecion Committee of the party.

All the three have been renominated from their seats. Chidambaram from Sivaganga, Mani Shanker Aiyar from Mayiladuthurai and Thangkabalu from Salem.

Union Minister and AICC General Secretary V Narayananswamy has been nominated for the lone seat of Puducherry.