New Delhi  - Balloting was taking place Tuesday for legislative assemblies in three Indian states in what is seen as the first major test of the ruling alliance's popularity after the April-May general elections.

Elections were being held in Maharashtra in western India, northern Haryana and the north-eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh.

Voting in the first four hours was peaceful but saw a low turnout, IANS and PTI news agencies reported.

There were reports of sporadic firing by Maoist rebels in Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district where 17 policemen were killed in a rebel ambush on Thursday.

More than 3,700 security force personnel have been deployed in the district to maintain peace during polling and to protect voters and election officials.

The Congress Party-led United Progressive Alliance won a strong mandate in the general elections for the national parliament.

It is the incumbent party in Haryana and Arunachal Pradesh and rules Maharashtra in alliance with the Nationalist Congress Party, a breakaway faction.

The Congress Party's main rival in Maharashtra is the Hindu right-wing Shiv Sena and its ally the Bharatiya Janata Party.

Maharashtra, with India's financial hub Mumbai as its capital, is a key state for political parties.

Spiralling prices of essential commodities, corruption and water and power shortages are the main election issues, according to a pre-election survey by ACNielsen and Star TV. (dpa)