Chandigarh: After a low turnout in initial hoursdue to incessant rains, polling to the keenly fought Punjabassembly elections picked up as around 15 per cent of the voters exercisedtheir franchise during the first four hours today.

Seventeen per cent voters have exercised their franchise in Patiala constituency, from where chiefminister Amarinder Singh is contesting, while 21 per cent casted their votes inLambi, the seat from which Shirmani Akali Dal chief Parkash Singh Badal isfighting, during the first four hours.

The polling started at 8 a.M.

According the Election Commission here, Amritsarrecorded 16 per cent polling, Faridkot 15 per cent, Hoshiarpur 10 per cent andRopar 15 per cent in the first four hours.

Barring a minor scuffle between the polling agents of SAD and the Congress atLambi and in Sector 71 of Mohali, the polling was peaceful, official sourcessaid.

The major political outfits - the ruling Congress and the opposition SADmaintained that the voters were "enthusiastic" to exercise theirfranchise.

At three polling booths at Kapurthala, two at Phagwara and one each at Moga,Mohali and Bholath, polling remained suspended for 30 to 60 minutes as ElectronicVoting Machines (EVMs) developed some technical problems.

However, the polling resumed after EVMs were replaced with new ones.