New Delhi, Apr 19 (PTI) Many newly married couples were among the early voters of the first phase of the Lok Sabha polls on Friday, with some reaching polling booths decked-up in traditional attires soon after exchanging vows.

In Jammu and Kashmir's Doda district, which falls in the Udhampur parliamentary constituency, the "vidaai" ceremony of a bride was delayed so that she could go and cast her vote.

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"My fervent appeal to people is to vote for the development of the nation," said Vishal Shanky as he waited outside a booth in Bhaderwah town for his wife Monica Sharma to return after voting.

Dheeraj Soni and Pooja Soni cast their vote in Rajasthan's Sikar shortly after getting married, Aseem Mangotra and Vishali in Udhampur, and Devesh Thakur and Gangotri Thakur in Chhattisgarh's Naraynapur.

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** The old and the physically challenged were carried on stretchers and wheelchairs to polling booths -- a facility being provided by the Election Commission to ensure they do not miss the opportunity to exercise their right.

Rejecting the home voting facility provided to senior citizens by the commission, a 95-year-old retired Navy official went to a polling booth in Jaipur to cast his vote on a wheelchair. "I have come here personally to ensure my vote is cast," R N Singh said.

** For the first time in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, seven members of the Shompen tribe, a particularly vulnerable tribal group (PVTGs) of Great Nicobar Islands exercised their voting rights for the lone Lok Sabha seat in the union territory. Not only did they vote but also posed for selfies at polling station 411 named as 'Shompen Hut'.

** There were also reports of poll boycott by villagers in Nehuta in Bihar's Aurangabad and Uralipatti in Tamil Nadu's Dindigul over issues such as dearth of basic amenities and lack of developmental works and infrastructure.

** An SUV carrying an electronic voting machine (EVM) partially sank into a river after water level rose suddenly washing away a mechanised boat that was ferrying the vehicle in Assam's Lakhimpur constituency.

** Residents of Jammu and Kashmir's Dhadkahi, known as the "silent village" due to its large deaf and mute population voted with the hope of getting roads, water, education and healthcare facilities.

** In Madhya Pradesh's Gotegaon, a son reached a polling station with his blind and disabled father on a tireless bicycle.

** The world's shortest woman, Jyoti Amge, cast her vote in Nagpur in Maharashtra and appealed to people to come out in large numbers and exercise their franchise in the elections.

** The Balud polling booth in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada district sported the theme of environment conservation, while all-women staffed "pink" booths across the 102 constituencies that went to polls in the first phase saw women voters turning out to vote in large numbers. PTI TEAM

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)