Amidst fear of violence, the authorities have mobilised over 234,000 staff and arranged round-the-clock aerial patrolling in some politically sensitive areas.

Fifty-five political parties are trying their luck in the assembly polls, including the Nepali Congress, the Maoists and the Communist Party of Nepal-United Marxist Leninist.

Through the proportionate voting system, 335 representatives will be chosen and 240 will come through First-Past-the-Post or direct voting system.

The remaining 26 assembly members are nominated by the new Council of Ministers.

Hundreds of international observers, including former US president Jimmy Carter, is in Nepal to monitor the polls.

India's Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami is also in the Himalayan state to observe the polls.

Image: Peoples Liberation Army Maoist cadres cast their vote in Kamaljhora village in eastern Nepal on Thursday.

Photograph: Diptendu Dutta/AFP/Getty Images