Nagpur, Apr 19 (IANS): The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Sarsanghchalak Mohan Bhagwat voted at a polling booth near Reshimbagh, here on Friday morning.

The RSS chief was among the earliest to arrive at a polling station. He waited for nearly 15 minutes before the polling started, entered to cast his vote and emerged soon thereafter, displaying his inked left-hand forefinger with pride.

Interacting with media persons, he said that he had done his first personal duty for the day and called upon all the people to cast their vote since as citizens, saying "it’s their right as well as a duty".

"All people must go out and vote in the interest of the nation… Through your vote, you decide the future of the country for the next five years. There should be 100 per cent voting, and hence everybody must cast their votes in the interest of the country," the RSS chief said.

In Nagpur, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari is contesting against INDIA-MVA-Congress nominee Vikas Thakare.

The first phase of the Lok Sabha elections started in five constituencies -- Nagpur, Chandrapur, Bhandara-Gondiya, Ramtek (SC) and Gadchiroli-Chimur (ST) -- at 7 a.m. with thousands trooping out to vote.