Imphal, Feb 28 : The voting for the first phase of Manipur Assembly elections began on Monday morning amid tight security, election officials said. Men and women with colourful attires in large numbers queued up in front of the polling stations before the voting for 38 of the total of 60 Assembly seats started at 7 a.m. The polling would continue till 4 p.m. A total of 12,09,439 voters, including 6,28,657 females and 175 transgenders, are eligible to cast their votes across 1,721 polling stations in five districts -- Imphal East, Imphal West, Bishnupur, Churachandpur and Kangpokpi. The first phase of polling on Monday will decide the fate of 173 candidates, including 15 women contestants. The candidates include Manipur Chief Minister and BJP candidate N. Biren Singh, Cabinet Minster Thongam Biswajit Singh, NPP candidate and Deputy Chief Minister Yumnam Joykumar Singh, senior BJP leader Thokchom Satyabrata Singh, Congress leaders -- Ratankumar Singh, Lokeshwar Singh, Saratchandra Singh and sitting party MLA Akoijam Mirabai Devi -- are at stake. Firebrand women leader and Janata Dal (United) candidate, Thounaojam Brinda, who was the Manipur Additional Superintendent of Police (headquarters), is also contesting in the first phase of polling from the Yaiskul Assembly constituency. Covid-19 protocols for the voters, including use of face masks, sanitiser, social distancing and thermal screening, are being maintained. /IANS