Odisha Panchayat Election

According to data from election authorities, there are a total of 294 voters in Bagra village under Manchagam GP in Tentulikunti block of the district where voting is underway in the second phase of panchayat polls on Friday i.e. February 18.

Voting is on at 20,436 booths in 1,514 Panchayats of 68 blocks across the state.

After numerous instances of poll violence in the first phase, the second phase of Panchayat Elections in Odisha kicked off on Friday with much enthusiasm but with caution and security in place. 

Further, the DGP has assured that strict security measures will be in place for the remaining four phases of rural elections so as to ensure the conduct of the election in a free and fair manner.

Over 62 lakh voters will cast their votes to elect Sarpanchs, Samiti members and Ward members in 1514 Panchayats under 186 Zilla Parishad zones

While the Odisha government medical team was busy treating the villagers, an ambulance with some medical staff from Tonam health centre in Andhra Pradesh’s Salur Mandal reached Phatuseneri village to carry out an inspection of the residents suffering from diarrhoea.

The BJP also urged the Commission to immediately issue guidelines related to the strong room where the ballot boxes will be kept after the polls, till the beginning of counting

Moreover, the MLA's kin made the voters swear that they would be punished by the God if they didn't vote for the selected candidates.

Dhenkanal district Collector Saroj Kumar Sethi said that four persons involved in rigging booths in the district have been arrested and further investigation in connection with the violent incident is underway.

Ganjam reported the lowest voter turnout with 64.96 per cent people exercising their franchise in the poll.

Secretary to the SEC, Rabindra Sahu, on Thursday said that the Commission has received proposal for re-polling at 25 places in four districts based on the reports from the concerned district Collectors.

Chinmay Kumar Das, husband of Bharati Rath is reportedly missing since last night. Bharati is a contender for the samiti member post in Sankulei gram panchayat under Zilla Parishad zone 2 of Dhenkanal block.  

While 14 arrests have been made in connection with poll rigging incidents in Jajpur, eight people have been arrested for assaulting journalists while they were covering the polls in Puri.

The ruling BJD has accused the saffron party of flouting the poll code enforced by the State Election Commission (SEC) in Ganjam district.

The first phase of polling for Panchayat elections in Maoist infested Paikmal and Jharabandh Blocks of Bargarh district concluded without any event on Wednesday despite threats issued by the Maoist ultras to boycott the elections.

In the video, circulating on the social media, it can be clearly seen the Sarpanch candidate and his supporters forcefully capturing the ballot box and dropping multiple ballot papers into it after stamping on their election symbol.

The nominations will be scrutinised in the next one hour while the candidates can withdraw their nominations by 1 p.m. If required, voting will be held from 1.30 to 4 p.m. and then the result will be declared.

Some miscreants were trying to capture a booth at Badal Panchayat by force during the polling. When the media persons present at the spot tried to capture the visuals of the illegal act, the miscreants turned towards them and assaulted them

Stray incidents of violence were reported from across polling booths in the State today.

As per the Odisha State Election Commission, polling at one seat for Zilla Parishad Member, six seats for the post of Sarpanch, three seats for Panchayat Samiti Member and 13 Ward Member posts have been cancelled

The identification of the miscreants and the reason behind the loot are yet to be ascertained

The villagers erected bamboo barricade at the entrance of the locality restricting entry of the polling team and shouted slogans on poll boycott.

The viral audio clip has surfaced at a time when the first phase of voting began for the three-tier Panchayat elections on Wednesday. 

Basudevpur village under Ganjam’s Digapahandi Block turned into a war zone on Monday afternoon when some armed miscreants, purportedly supporters of a Sarpanch candidate, disrupted the campaign procession of another Sarpanch candidate, Rabi Narayan Padhi before launching an attack.

State Election Commissioner Aditya Prasad Padhi on Tuesday said that as many as 67.51 lakh voters will exercise their franchise in the first phase polls.