Moderate polling was witnessed in the first phase of local body elections, which began on Friday morning amidst tight security in Tamil Nadu.

Polling was brisk in rural areas and dull in urban areas, including Chennai, when it commenced at 7 am, official sources said in Chennai.

"Overall the polling was progressing at a moderate level," they said.

As many as 67,760 posts are at stake in Friday's polling, with majority of them in rural areas.

Voting is being held in Chennai, Coimbatore, Salem and Tirunelveli Corporations, 45 municipalities, 23 third grade municipalities and 281 town panchayats.

Meanwhile, police said no untoward incident has been reported from any part of the state in the initial hours of polling.

More than 100,000 security personnel, including police from Tamil Nadu and neigbouring states, have been deployed to ensure tight security during polling.

The second phase of polling would be held on Sunday.

Among those who exercised their franchise included Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam supremo Jayalalithaa, Union Ministers Dayanidhi Maran and G K Vasan, State Local Administration Minister M K Stalin, DMK leader K Anbazhagan, Communist Party of India leader R Nallakannu and Bharatiya Janata Party leader L Ganesan.

Talking to reporters after casting his vote, Karunanidhi said the chances of the DMK-led Democratic Progressive Alliance was "very bright".

Voter turnout was dull in majority of the polling booths in Chennai.

There were booths where no voters turned up to exercise franchise at the commencement of polling.

Meanwhile, brisk and peaceful polling was reported in seven town panchayats, six panchayat unions, two municipalities and 194 village panchayats that went to polls in Madurai district on Friday.

Twenty five per cent polling was reported till 11 am and long queues were witnessed in many polling booths.

More than 3,000 personnel, including police, ex-servicemen, NSS volunteers and homeguards had been deployed on election duty.

In some of the municipalities including Periyakulam, Dindigul and Virudhunagar, dull polling was reported.

Only 11 per cent voting was reported in the three municipal areas.

However in the villages of Dindigul, Theni and Virudhunagar districts, polling was brisk and 20 per cent polling was reported.

According to a report from Tiruchi, percentage of polling varied from 8 to 12 per cent in town panchayats and Panchayat Unions.