First Phase Odisha Panchayat Polls Ends, Over 60 PC Voter Turnout Recorded Till 1 PM

The first phase voting for the three-tier Panchayat elections in Odisha concluded on Wednesday with a voter turnout of over 60 per cent recorded till 1 pm, the office of the State Selection Commission (SEC) said. 

The casting of votes which started at 7 am as per schedule completed at 1 pm. Voters were seen standing in long queues in front of the polling booths to exercise their franchise since early morning hours. They cast their votes on ballot papers for deciding Sarpanch, Ward member, Samiti member and Zilla Parishad posts. 

In the first phase, voting was held for 1,669 Sarpanch and equal number of Samiti member posts in 200 Zilla Parishad (ZP) zones. Similarly, polling was also held for 22,379 Ward member posts. 

As per the SEC, the polling was countermanded in 23 places following the deaths of some contesting candidates. A total of 13 Ward member candidates, six Sarpanch, three Panchayat Samiti member and one ZP member candidates have died. 

After the concluding of the voting process, the ballot boxes were shifted to strong rooms in the Block headquarters. The polls are being held in five phases on February 16, 18, 20, 22, and 24. The counting of votes will begin on February 26. 

Stray incidents of violence were reported from across polling booths in the State today. As many as four correspondents of two electronic media organisations were allegedly attacked by miscreants while they had gone to cover news at a booth at in Badala panchayat under Kanas block in Puri district. 

Similarly, miscreants allegedly snatched ballot boxes from booth No-9 in Kashijharia village of Chapamanik Gram Panchayat under Brahmagiri block in Puri during the first phase of the three-tier Panchayat polls on Wednesday disrupting polling at the booth. 

Nearly 500 voters of Sarajamdihi in Badapheni Ward number 1 in Mayurbhanj district boycotted polls after finding that their names were missing from the new electoral rolls. The list reportedly mentioned names of only 64 people from the village. 

The polling process was disrupted at booth-1 in Sujanpur Panchayat after a clash broke out between two groups allegedly over stealing of ballot paper stamps by some miscreants. 

As many as five persons sustained injuries after being allegedly attacked by supporters of a political party at Nisibhanra village under Rahadamala Panchayat in Puri. 

In another incident, over 30 people from Tichhini village were injured after being attacked by miscreants inside booth-4 in Alanda Panchayat.