By 11am, Odisha has seen 21% of its registered voters casting their ballots.

The capital city of Odisha, Bhubaneswar, was bustling with voters as the state saw a 21 per cent turnout in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections by 11 am on Monday. The voting process began at 7am in five parliamentary constituencies - Aska, Kandhamal, Bargarh, Bolangir and Sundargarh - along with 35 assembly segments that fall under these Lok Sabha seats.

Ensuring the safety and security of the voters, the police reported that there were no untoward incidents in any of the polling booths. The Chief Electoral Officer, NB Dhal, also confirmed that the polling was peaceful and without any incidents until 11 am. However, there were some technical issues with the electronic voting machines, resulting in the replacement of 70 ballot units, 89 control units and 167 VVPATs.

Despite the minor glitches, the officials reported that 21.07 per cent of the 79.69 lakh voters had cast their votes by 11 am. However, there was a worrying moment at one of the booths in the Sundergarh Lok Sabha seat when a female polling official fainted. Quick action was taken, and she was attended to immediately.

It is worth mentioning that the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections are being held simultaneously in Odisha. This makes it a crucial day for the state, and the officials are working diligently to ensure a smooth and fair voting process. With the impressive turnout so far, it is evident that the people of Odisha are exercising their right to vote and making their voices heard. Let's hope that the rest of the day goes by without any hiccups, and the state sees a high voter turnout.

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