More than half of Odisha's eligible voters have cast their votes by 5pm.

On Monday, the people of Odisha came out in large numbers to exercise their right to vote in the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. As of 5pm, the state recorded a voter turnout of 60.55%. Polling began at 7am in the five Lok Sabha constituencies of Aska, Kandhamal, Bargarh, Bolangir, and Sundargarh, along with 35 Assembly segments within their jurisdiction. It is worth noting that Odisha is one of the few states where both the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections are being held concurrently.

However, the smooth flow of voting was interrupted when a disturbance occurred in a booth under the Kantamal Assembly segment of Kandhamal Parliamentary Constituency. The Chief Electoral Officer of Odisha, NB Dhal, informed that the situation was immediately taken care of and polling continued uninterrupted. In another incident, a presiding officer of a booth in the same Assembly segment was taken into custody by the police due to some irregularities found at the polling station.

Addressing the unfortunate murder of a man near Sarsara under Sadar police limits in Bargarh district, Dhal clarified that it was not a case of poll violence. He stated that it was a criminal incident that took place outside the polling station, and the local police were able to control the situation without affecting the polling process. The deceased was an auto-rickshaw driver who was ferrying voters to the polling booth. While the family claims it to be a political murder, the police have stated that it was due to personal enmity.

Despite these challenges, Dhal stated that polling was peaceful in all 9,162 booths across the state. He also mentioned that faulty Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) were promptly replaced to ensure a fair voting process. Among the five Lok Sabha seats, the highest voter turnout of 66.14% was recorded in Bargarh, followed by Sundargarh, Bolangir, Kandhamal, and Aska. As for the 35 Assembly constituencies, Sonepur saw the highest turnout of 71.35%, while Surada recorded the lowest with 47.80% in Ganjam district.

Dhal also shared that the industrial Assembly segments of Brajrajnagar and Jharsuguda, as well as urban areas like Rourkela, witnessed a good voter turnout. As of 3pm, 60.55% of the total 79.69 lakh voters had cast their votes. However, there was a minor incident where a woman polling official fainted in a booth under the Sundergarh Lok Sabha seat. Overall, the polling process in Odisha has been smooth and peaceful, with the people showing great enthusiasm and responsibility towards their right to vote.

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