Odisha has seen a voter turnout of more than 48% by 3pm.

According to officials, the state of Odisha has seen a voter turnout of 48.95% as of 3pm in the polling for five Lok Sabha constituencies and 35 Assembly segments on Monday. The voting began at 7am in Aska, Kandhamal, Bargarh, Bolangir, and Sundargarh parliamentary constituencies, as well as 35 Assembly segments within their jurisdiction. It is worth noting that both the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections are being held simultaneously in Odisha.

Fortunately, there have been no reports of any untoward incidents at any polling booths, as per the police. However, in Kantamal Assembly segment, one presiding officer was taken into custody by the police due to some irregularities found at the polling station. In regards to the recent murder of a man near Sarsara under Sadar police limits in Bargarh district, Chief Electoral Officer NB Dhal clarified that it was not a result of poll violence but rather a crime incident that took place outside of the polling station. He mentioned that the local police have managed the situation, as it caused some tension in the booth, but it did not affect the polling process.

The victim was an auto-rickshaw driver who was ferrying voters to the polling station. While the family of the deceased claims it was a political murder, the police have stated that personal enmity is the motive behind the crime. Dhal also assured that the polling process has been peaceful in all of the 9,162 booths and only a few EVMs had to be replaced due to malfunctioning.

Among the five Lok Sabha seats, the highest voter turnout of 53.88% was recorded in Bargarh parliamentary seat, followed by Sundargarh, Kandhamal, Aska, and Bolangir. From the 35 Assembly constituencies, Bhatli saw a turnout of 50.68%, followed by the tribal-dominated Bonai Assembly, while the lowest turnout was recorded at Patnagarh in Bolangir district with 41.17%. Dhal also mentioned that even industrial Assembly segments like Brajrajnagar and Jharsuguda have seen good participation from voters.

As of 3pm, 48.95% of the over 79.69 lakh voters have exercised their right to vote, according to officials. There was also a report of a woman polling official fainting in a booth under the Sundargarh Lok Sabha seat. Overall, the voting process has been running smoothly and peacefully, and the officials are hopeful for a successful and fair election.

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