Mumbai, April 30 (IANS) An estimated 45 percent voters exercised their franchise in 10 Lok Sabha constituencies in Maharashtra - spread across Mumbai and Thane - as voting concluded peacefully in the third and final phase Thursday evening, an election department official said.
Despite the presence of top filmstars, industrialists and celebrities, the constituencies spread across Mumbai and Thane notched only around 31 percent voting till 3 p.m., the official said.

Polling started on a very dull note with barely six percent of the electorate casting their votes till 11 a.m. Later, people came out in large numbers and the voting picked up considerably.

Nearly 13.1 million (1.31 crore) voters were eligible to exercise their franchise Thursday. There were 196 candidates, including 17 women, in the fray for the third and final phase of polling in the state.

The constituencies where polling was held are: Mumbai North, Mumbai North-East, Mumbai North-West, Mumbai North-Central, Mumbai South-Central, Mumbai South; Thane, Kalyan, Bhiwandi and Palghar (all in adjoining Thane district.)