Polling for the first phase of assembly elections in Manipur began at 7 am on Monday.

As many as 173 candidates, including 12 women candidates are in the fray in 38 assembly constituencies.

As many as 12,09,439 voters will exercise their franchise to elect their representatives across 1,721 polling stations.

The prominent candidates in the fray include Chief Minister and BJP candidate N Biren Singh, Assembly Speaker Y Khemchand Singh, Deputy Chief Minister and NPP candidate Yumnam Joykumar and Manipur Congress president N Lokesh Singh.

Of the 38 seats, 10 constituencies are in Imphal East, 13 in Imphal West, six each in Bishnupur and Churachandpur, and three in Kangpokpi district. Manipur Chief Electoral Officer Rajesh Agarwal has said that out of the total 173 candidates, 39 have criminal antecedents.