May 13th 2024.
In Bhubaneswar on Monday, Chief Electoral Officer Nikunja Bihari Dhal announced that the Election Commission has taken strict action against two polling officials in Odisha for failing to fulfill their duties. This comes after reports of negligence surfaced from Narla Assembly constituency in Kalahandi district and Ganjam district.
According to Dhal, the poll process is being closely monitored in the webcasting room. There was a minor clash between two groups in Chikiti area of Ganjam district, but Dhal has personally reached out to the Superintendent of Police in Berhampur and the Collector in Ganjam to ensure that polling continues smoothly, especially in the Chikiti area.
As the voter turnout in Berhampur Lok Sabha constituency was lower than expected, Dhal urged voters to come out in large numbers and cast their votes. Some technical issues were reported in the Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in the initial hours, but Dhal assured that the situation has now been resolved.
Voting commenced at 7 am in Berhampur, Koraput, Nabarangpur, and Kalahandi parliamentary constituencies, along with 28 Assembly segments falling under these Lok Sabha seats. As of 11 am, 23.28% of the 62.87 lakh voters have exercised their franchise, with the highest turnout recorded in the tribal-dominated Kalahandi Lok Sabha seat at 25.38%, followed by Koraput, Nabarangpur, and Berhampur.
It is worth mentioning that Odisha is conducting simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. This is an important event for the state and the Election Commission is taking all necessary measures to ensure a fair and smooth voting process.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]