Panchayat polls: 77% voter turnout in final phase

Bhubaneswar: The fifth and final phase of the three-tier Panchayat polls in Odisha which concluded on Tuesday, witnessed 77% voter turnout, said a State Election Commission official.

“In the fifth phase the voter turnout was 77%. Barring stray incidents of poll-related violence at some places, the voting was peaceful,” said State Election Commissioner R N Senapati.

The official said, the highest 88% turnout was recorded in Sonepur district while Ganjam district witnessed the lowest with 67%.

In the first phase, the polling was around 71%, while the figure was 73% in second phase. In the remaining fourth and fifth phases, 75% and 76% voter turnout was recorded respectively.

Officials said, the overall polling percentage in the three-tier rural polls in the State stood at 74%.