Polling Underway In Last Phase Of Odisha Panchayat Elections

Polling in the fifth and last phase of Odisha panchayat elections is underway in 25 districts, including Malkangiri's Maoist-affected Swabhiman Anchal, amid tight security and strict adherence to COVID-19 guidelines, SEC officials said. Voting began in 13,514 booths in 975 panchayats at 7 AM and it will continue till 1 PM. More than 41 lakh voters are eligible to decide the fate of candidates in 131 Zilla Parishad zones.

While polling was peaceful till 9 AM in two Zilla Parishad zones and 18 panchayats in Swabhiman Anchal, voting was disrupted in ward number 1 of Katasahi panchayat in Dhamnagar block of Bhadrak district after some people barged into a booth and decamped with the ballot papers.

A person was also critically injured in political violence in Gadarupas in Gop Badatara panchayat of Puri district. He was admitted to a hospital in Bhubaneswar. Dhinkia village in Ersama block of Jagatsinghpur district, which has been the epicentre of an anti-displacement movement against industries, also went to polls in the final phase of the rural elections.

In view of the law and order situation, polling booths for six wards of Dhinkia have been shifted to neighbouring Trilochanpur, Patana and Mahala villages, where around 2,200 voters are eligible to exercise their franchise. The counting of votes will take place from February 26 to 28.

With PTI Inputs