Bhubaneswar: The third phase elections for the six Lok Sabha and 42 Assembly constituencies in Odisha concluded peacefully barring few incidents of violence and EVM/VVPAT glitches on Tuesday. Voting began at 7 AM amid adequate security arrangements for the conduct of polls in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri, Sambalpur, Keonjhar and Dhenkanal Lok Sabha seats and 42 Assembly constituencies under these segments.
As per last reports from the State Electoral Office, highest polling of 70 % was recorded in Karanjia Assembly constituency while the voter turnout in Puri was recorded at 67 % by 6 PM.
61 per cent voter turnout recorded till 5 PM in the third phase polls in Odisha, as per the office of the Chief Electoral Officer.
BJP's Bhubaneswar-North Assembly candidate Aparajita Mohanty casts her vote in Bhubaneswar
18 per cent voter turnout recorded till 11 AM in the third phase polls in Odisha, as per the office of the Chief Electoral Officer.
Odisha Congress chief Niranjan Patnaik alleges that his party poll agents are being beaten up and abducted.
6 per cent voter turnout recorded till 9 AM in the third phase polls in Odisha, as per the office of the Chief Electoral Officer.
Odisha CM and BJD president Naveen Patnaik casts his vote at a polling booth in Bhubaneswar.
Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and BJP candidate from Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha constituency cast their votes.
EVM malfunction- booth no 146 at Gadadhar School (Puri), booth no 148 at Puri Sadar, booth no 5 at Balipatpur (Brahmagiri),booth no 258 at Chaneswar Dev School (Pipili),booth no 179 at Rajabagicha & booth no 169 Badambadi (Cuttack), booth no 145, 101, 135, 138 in Kuchinda
Voting delayed at booth no 112 in #Bhubaneswar-Ekamra constituency, EVM develops glitches at booth no 32 & 70 in Bhubaneswar-Central, booth no 96 & 109 in Banki and booth no 128 & 130 in Ranpur, Nayagarh
EVM malfunction reported at booth no 232 at Hindol and Municipality's booth no 193 & 194
EVM glitches delayed voting at booth no 37 at Karanjia, booth no 212, 213 & 45 in Keonjhar, booth no 34 & 36 at Begunia, booth no 173, 179, 180, 181, 182, 183 at Jatni, booth no 281 at Anandapur, booth no 90 at Sarala, booth no 221, 243, 255 of Keonjhar Municipality
Voting delayed at booth no 5 at Balipatpur (Puri), booth no 179 at Rajabagicha, booth no 169 at Badambadi New Colony (Cuttack), booth no 122 at Katarapali (Sambalpur) due to EVM malfunction
Sambalpur: Voting delayed at polling booths no- 113 & 115 in Sakhigopinathpur due to EVM glitches
Voting delayed in booth no-243 of Bhubaneswar North constituency due to glitches in EVM
Out of the total voters, there are 47,99,030 male, 44,56,629 female and 1,163 belonging to the third gender category.
They will decide the fate of total 417 candidates -- 61 Lok Sabha and 356 Assembly -- in 10,464 booths.
The Election Commission has identified 3,186 critical polling booths while CCTVs have been installed in 779 booths and Central Armed Police Forces have been deployed in 596 polling stations.
As many as 20,778 volunteers and 6,190 vehicles have been engaged to assist 1,58,495 differently-abled voters.
Following technical glitches in Electronic Voting Machines in the second phase, re-polling has been recommended in nine polling stations located in Bonai (ST), Sundargarh (ST), Daspalla (SC), Attabira, Bargarh, Padampur, Surada and Brajarajnagar Assembly constituencies.
Elections are being held in four phases in Odisha.
[WITH IANS INPUTS]