Odisha Elections 2019: Patkura Assembly polls on May 19

Kendrapara: After the Patkura Assembly poll was countermanded following the death of BJD candidate for the seat Bed Prakash Agarwalla, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday issued a fresh polling schedule for elections in the Assembly segment under Kendrapara Lok Sabha constituency.

As per the ECI notification, Patkura will go to polls on May 19. While the last date of filing nomination is May 1, scrutiny of nominations will be held on May 2. The last date of withdrawal of candidature is May 4.

On May 19, elections to the Assembly constituency shall be taken, if necessary, and May 27 is the date before which the election shall be completed, the ECI notification read.

Among others, BJP’s Bijoy Mohapatra is in the fray in Patkura, which was scheduled to go to the polls along with six Lok Sabha and 42 Assembly constituencies in the fourth phase of the general elections on April 29.

“I welcome the decision of Election Commission as it will help the people here exercise their franchise. A conspiracy was going on and people of Patkura were concerned that elections to the Assembly segment might get postponed for indefinite period," says Mohapatra.

He further said that conspiracy will continue in the Assembly constituency till the last day of election, but people of Patkura have already decided and braced up to thwart all types of conspiracies.