DHAKA: Voters are going to the polls under heavy security in an election that could push Thailand deeper into political turmoil and leave the winner paralysed for months by street protests.

The risk of bloodshed at the ballot on Sunday remains high, a day after seven people were wounded by shooting and explosions during a standoff between supporters and opponents of Yingluck Shinawatra, the prime minister, in a north Bangkok stronghold of her Puea Thai Party.

As polls opened in Bangkok`s Beungkum district, Yingluck cast her ballot under heavy police presence.

Al Jazeera`s Veronica Pedrosa, reporting from Bangkok on Sunday, said that election officials had warned of disruptions in voting in the Thai capital.
Analysis: Political turmoil in Thailand

She said that at least 130,000 police have been deployed across the country to secure the voting, including 12,000 in Bangkok.

Al Jazeera`s Wayne Hay, also reporting from Bangkok, said voting had already been disrupted in Din Daeng suburb, a Yingluck stronghold, and that the polls could be cancelled.

Anti-government protesters reportedly blocked a government building, where ballot boxes are housed, and prevented the distribution of ballots, he said.

The main opposition Democrat Party is boycotting the poll and the commission has already voiced concerns that it would result in too few legitimately elected MPs to form a parliamentary quorum.

Speaking to Al Jazeera, Sunai Phasuk, a senior researcher on Thailand at Human Rights Watch, said fear remains that there could be confrontation between pro- and anti-election forces during the voting.

"We are urging all sides to reject violence," he said.

The usual campaign billboards, glossy posters and pre-election buzz have been notably absent this time, as will be millions of voters fearful of poll violence or bent on rejecting a ballot bound to re-elect the political juggernaut controlled by Yingluck`s billionaire brother, Thaksin Shinawatra.

BDST: 1028 HRS, FEB 02, 2014