New Delhi, April 23 As the proverbial Indian summer gathered force, millions of people across 12 Indian states voted on Thursday in step two of Election 2009 in an exercise that was largely peaceful barring insurgent violence in Assam and Jharkhand and political clashes in Andhra Pradesh.

Polling stations in 140 constituencies across 12 states opened at 7 a.m. for the second round of the five-phase elections that conclude on May 13. Tens of thousands of the 194 million electorate queued up at many of the 222,350 polling stations to choose their nominees in the Lok Sabha from amongst the 2,034 candidates in the fray.

The states which went to polls are Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Goa, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand.

Voting was also underway for the last of the two-phase assembly elections in Andhra Pradesh and Orissa.

In Jharkhand, moderate polling reported from eight of the state's 14 Lok Sabha constituencies with a turnout in the first four hours between 18 and 26 percent.

People were queuing up at polling stations even as the temperature around noon was recorded between 42 degree and 46 degrees Celsius in various parts.

Assam reported moderate to brisk polling.

In Andhra Pradesh, an estimated 25-30 percent votes were polled in the first four hours while long queues of voters, especially women, formed in many areas.

The turnout was a little lower in Madhya Pradesh, at about 20 percent till 11 a.m., where polling was being held for 13 of 29 seats.

In Uttar Pradesh, where elections were held in 17 of 80 constituencies, about 26 percent of 25 million-odd eligible voters cast their ballot till 2 p.m. And in Maharashtra, where elections are being held in 25 of the 48 seats, it was a trifle lower at 25 percent.

In the IT state Karnataka, 30 percent voting was reporting from the 17 parliamentary constituencies.

Voting was also underway peacefully in Bihar, where polling took place in 13 of the 40 constituencies.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh cast his vote in Guwahati.