May 20th 2024.
The bustling city of Bhubaneswar was abuzz with the excitement of the Lok Sabha and Assembly elections being held simultaneously. The day had been mostly peaceful, with only a few minor incidents reported. As of 11:55pm, the Election Commission's Voter Turnout App recorded a 69.19% voter turnout for the five Lok Sabha constituencies and 35 Assembly segments in Odisha. This was a promising number, considering the size and diversity of the state.
One unfortunate event that caused a stir was the murder of a man near a polling booth in Sarsara, Bargarh district. However, the local police quickly reassured everyone that the incident was not related to the ongoing polling and was a result of personal enmity. This helped to ease the tension among the polling parties and voters in the area.
The voting had begun at 7am in the five parliamentary constituencies - Aska, Kandhamal, Bargarh, Bolangir, and Sundargarh, along with 35 assembly segments falling under their jurisdiction. The Chief Electoral Officer of Odisha, NB Dhal, reported that voting in a booth in the Kantamal Assembly segment under the Kandhamal parliamentary constituency had to be stopped due to some disturbance created by a group of people. Another presiding officer in the same assembly segment was also taken into custody by the police for irregularities found at the polling station.
Apart from these isolated incidents, the voting process was smooth and steady. However, there were some temporary disruptions caused by thunderstorms and rain in Bhanjanagar, Ganjam district, and Daringbadi, Kandhamal. Power outages in these areas delayed the voting for a brief period, but it resumed quickly once the electricity was restored. Despite these challenges, the polling officials worked tirelessly to ensure that the voting process continued without any major interruptions.
The high-stakes elections also took a toll on some of the polling officials. One woman, in particular, felt faint in a booth under the Sundargarh Lok Sabha seat. Thankfully, she was promptly attended to, and her condition was stabilized.
The incident that caused the most concern was the murder of an auto-rickshaw driver near Sarsara. It was reported that he was attacked by a group of people while taking some voters to a polling booth. The police confirmed that the motive behind the attack was personal enmity, but the family members of the deceased claimed that it was a political murder. This unfortunate event caused some tension in the booth, but the police handled the situation well, and the voting was not affected.
Overall, the day was largely peaceful, with only a few minor incidents reported. The CEO of Odisha, NB Dhal, stated that out of the 9,162 booths, the voter turnout was high in most places, and the voting continued beyond the stipulated time of 6 pm. The highest voter turnout was recorded in Bargarh at 75.49%, followed by Bolangir at 71.46%, Kandhamal at 70.37%, Sundargarh at 67.74%, and Aska at 60.78%. The BJD and BJP were both confident of winning a significant number of seats in this phase of polling.
The BJD spokesperson, Sasmit Patra, expressed his confidence in winning 30 of the 35 Assembly seats and performing better in parliamentary seats compared to the 2019 elections. On the other hand, the BJP spokesperson, Jatin Mohanty, claimed that his party would win all five Lok Sabha seats and 25 of the 35 Assembly seats for which voting was held on Monday. In the previous 2019 elections, the BJD had won two of the five Lok Sabha seats and 26 of the 35 Assembly segments, while the BJP had secured four Lok Sabha seats and 26 Assembly seats.
With the completion of polling for nine parliamentary seats and 63 Assembly segments, Odisha is moving closer to deciding its representatives for the 21 Lok Sabha constituencies and 147 Assembly seats. The people of Odisha have exercised their right to vote, and now it is time to wait for the results. PNN & Agencies will continue to keep you updated on the latest developments.
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