Sri Lanka's sixth presidential election started Tuesday morning as two main candidates -- incumbent President Mahinda Rajapaksa and former Army Commander General Sarath Fonseka -- were vying for presidency.

Sri Lankan President and candidate Mahinda Rajapakse casts his ballot at a polling station in his native town of Tangalla, about 195 kms from the capital Colombo on January 26, 2010. Pre-dawn bomb blasts in Sri Lanka's Tamil heartland escalated tensions as the country went to the polls in the first presidential election since the end of its 37-year civil war.[Xinhua]

The Department of Elections said 14,088,500 Sri Lankans are eligible to cast their votes at 11,098 polling stations from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. local time (0130 GMT to 1030 GMT).

Long queues are seen in some polling stations in the capital Colombo as well as the provinces.

Rajapaksa and his family voted at the rural Mulkirigala in the deep southern district of Hambantota very early, his office in Colombo said.

His main challenger Fonseka is delaying his vote until mid-afternoon.

Meanwhile reports from the northern capital of Jaffna said at least four explosions were heard in the wee hours. Some sources said they were noises of shelling.

Opposition politician Mano Ganesan said in Colombo that the explosions were part of intimidation to the Jaffna voter.

This is the first national election in the island since the over three-decade old Tamil Tiger rebellion was crushed by the military last May.

Rajapaksa called the election two years ahead of schedule to capitalize on his popularity among the majority Sinhalese after ending the island's bloody ethnic conflict.

Fonseka, who commanded the Army to defeat the rebels from 2006 to 2009, is equally credited for the victory.

A Sri Lankan ethnic Tamil shows his inked finger after voting at a polling station in Vavuniya, some 290 kms north of capital Colombo, on January 26, 2010. Voting began in war-scarred Sri Lanka's presidential election, which pits incumbent Mahinda Rajapakse against his former army chief in a tense contest hit by pre-dawn bomb blasts.[Xinhua]

There have been 859 reported incidents of election related violence since November with five people being killed.

The government has deployed 68,000 police personnel plus 25 Army battalions to maintain law and order in the election.

Rajapaksa on Monday called a calm and peaceful election.

"All campaigning for this election is now concluded. It is a duty and responsibility of all citizens of our country who value democracy to extend their fullest co-operation to the Commissioner of Elections to conduct a free and fair election," said Rajapaksa in a statement.

Initial result of the elation is expected Wednesday morning.

Sri Lankan war displaced ethinc Tamils Balarasa Sadguruseelan (R) and his wife cast their ballot at a polling station in Vavuniya, some 290 kms north of capital Colombo, on January 26, 2010. Voting began in war-scarred Sri Lanka's presidential election, which pits incumbent Mahinda Rajapakse against his former army chief in a tense contest hit by pre-dawn bomb blasts.[Xinhua]