May 25th 2024.
As the sun rose on Saturday morning, the city of Bhubaneswar was bustling with activity as people made their way to polling stations. The state of Odisha was holding elections for six Lok Sabha constituencies and 42 assembly seats, with strict security measures in place. According to an official, voting had already begun at 7am in the areas of Sambalpur, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, and Puri. These constituencies also included 42 assembly segments within their jurisdiction.
The polling was set to continue until 6pm, but some remote and critical booths would finish earlier, the official explained. With over 94.48 lakh eligible voters and a total of 10,581 polling booths, this was the third round of simultaneous elections in the state. A total of 64 candidates were competing for the six Lok Sabha seats, while 383 contestants were vying for the 42 assembly segments. Some of the prominent leaders in this phase of the elections were Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, BJD organisational secretary and MLA Pranab Prakash Das, and BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra.
Among the candidates were also four Odisha ministers - Prafulla Mallick, RP Swain, Ashok Panda, and Basanti Hembram. Leader of the Opposition in the assembly, Jaynarayan Mishra, and sitting MPs Bhartruhari Mahtab and Aparajita Sarangi were also in the running. By 1pm, Odisha had recorded a voter turnout of 35.69%, according to the Election Commission's data. Sambalpur had the highest turnout at 38.13%, while Bhubaneswar recorded the lowest at 33.01%.
However, by 11am, Odisha had the lowest voter turnout compared to other states and Union Territories, with only 21.30% of the electorate casting their votes. The highest turnout was in Dhenkanal at 22.42%, while Cuttack had the lowest at 20.47%. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was among the early voters, walking to the Aerodrum Upper Primary School near his residence in Bhubaneswar. He expressed confidence in his party forming a stable government in the state. Senior BJD leader VK Pandian also cast his vote, arriving at the polling booth in an auto-rickshaw.
While the voting process was reported to be peaceful, there were some initial glitches with the EVMs, according to Odisha's Chief Electoral Officer NB Dhal. However, he reassured that the situation was under control. As polling stations opened their doors, people began to make their way in amidst tight security arrangements. A total of 35,000 security personnel and 70,000 polling personnel were deployed for this round of elections, with special attention given to around 2,000 critical booths, as stated by DGP Arun Kumar Sarangi. The agencies were keeping a close eye on the proceedings and ensuring the safety of all involved.
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