Bhubaneswar: Amid the shadow of Coronavirus pandemic, polling of votes for the by-elections to Balasore Sadar and Tirtol Assembly constituency seats began at 7 am on Tuesday. The voting will continue till 6 pm.
A thick blanket of security cover is in place for the smooth conduct of the bypolls in the two constituencies. As many as six companies of central force and 251 officers have been deployed.
For strict compliance of social distancing norms, the maximum voters allowed per booth which was earlier 1500 has been reduced to 1000. Moreover, the number of booths has been increased both in Tirtol and Balasore constituencies to avoid overcrowding and ensure that all necessary COVID-19 protocols can be followed.
Similarly, tokens will be issued to voters for maintaining social distancing norms and check crowding at booths.
The number of booths which was earlier 265 in Tirtol has been increased to 373 and the number of booths has been increased to 346 from 198 in Balasore.
(Edited By Suryakant Jena)