May 11th 2024.
As the clock struck midnight, the bustling city of Bhubaneswar was filled with the sound of enthusiastic voices, as the highly anticipated campaigning for Odisha's four Lok Sabha and 28 Assembly seats came to an end. The much-awaited polling was scheduled for May 13, and the political parties had left no stone unturned in their efforts to woo the voters in the southern and western parts of the state.
The spotlight was on the four Lok Sabha seats of Nabarangpur, Koraput, Kalahandi, and Berhampur, along with the 28 assembly segments under these constituencies. The ruling parties and the opposition had their eyes set on these crucial seats, and their leaders embarked on a rapid-fire tour of the constituencies, trying to sway the voters in their favor.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had some heavy hitters leading their campaign, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, party president J P Nadda, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh making their rounds across the poll-bound areas, addressing a multitude of rallies. They were also joined by some prominent leaders like Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai, and former Tripura CM Biplab Deb.
On the other hand, the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) was spearheaded by its party president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who is seeking a sixth term. He was accompanied by his trusted aide V K Pandian, who conducted extensive tours of the poll-bound areas, with a special focus on the first phase of polling.
Meanwhile, the Congress campaign seemed to be lagging behind, with its top leaders like party president Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra notably absent from the initial phase of campaigning. Although Rahul Gandhi was scheduled to address a rally in tribal-dominated Rayagada district, he had to cancel his tour due to other commitments. In his place, former Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel campaigned for Congress candidates in Kalahandi and Koraput Lok Sabha seats.
A total of 37 MP candidates and 243 MLA candidates, including heavyweight leaders from the BJD, BJP, and Congress, are contesting in the first phase of assembly elections in Odisha. Ramesh Majhi, Pradeep Majhi, Bhrugu Baxipatra, and Dibya Shankar Mishra are among the key candidates from the BJD, while Saptagiri Ulaka, Sarat Pattanayak, Taraprasad Bahinipati, Bhakta Das, and Bijay Patnaik are among the Congress candidates vying for seats.
To ensure a fair and transparent election process, the Election Commission has taken some strict measures, including the live webcasting of 60% of the total 7,303 polling stations across the four Lok Sabha and 28 assembly constituencies. Additionally, over 1,264 polling stations, including all booths in Maoist-affected areas, have been identified as critical booths. The voting process will involve 53,000 polling personnel, with 715 all-women booths and 39 booths run by people with disabilities (PwD) among the arrangements.
The stage is set for the first phase of polling in Odisha, and all eyes are now on the voters to see which party they will choose to lead them in the upcoming term. The campaigning may have ended, but the excitement and anticipation are only beginning to build up as the state braces itself for the crucial polling day.
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