NAGPUR: Rashtriya Swyamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat was among the early voters who cast their ballots on Friday in Nagpur as polling began in the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections.

Bhagwat exercised his franchise at a polling booth in the city's Mahal area soon after voting began at 7 am.

Speaking to reporters after casting his ballot, the RSS chief urged people to come out in large numbers and vote keeping the interest of the country in mind.

"Voting is our responsibility and right as well. We kind of chart out the future of our country for the next five years. Hence, today, the first thing I did was to vote," he said.

The RSS chief also said that there should be 100 per cent voting.

Voting is being held in five Loksabha Constituencies in Maharashtra's Vidarbha region - Nagpur, Ramtek, Chandrapur, Bhandara-Gondia and Gadchiroli-Chimur in the first phase of the seven-phase parliamentary elections.

Across the country, voting is being held in 102 seats across 21 states and Union Territories in the first phase.