Jharsuguda: Two state government officials, deputed on polling duty, died during byelection to Brajrajnagar Assembly constituency in Odisha’s Jharsuguda district on Tuesday.
One of the officials, identified as schoolteacher Dilip Khadia of of Tangarpalli village under Jharsuguda Sadar block, was deputed as second polling official at booth number 169 in Phalsadipa village under Loisingha panchayat. While 45-year-old Dilip carried out his duty during polling in the day, he fell unconscious at the booth in the evening.
Other officials rushed him to Central Hospital at Mandalia in Brajrajnagar where the doctors declared him brought dead. It is suspected that he died due to cardiac arrest. Dilip was serving as an assistant teacher in Talpatia school.
The second victim was 45-year-old Trilochan Mohanty of Bhaskar Textile Mills Colony in Jharsuguda. Working as home guard in Jharsuguda Sadar police station, he was deputed to booth number 238 in Government Primary School at Phatar under Sarandamal panchayat.
As Trilochan felt uneasy on Sunday, he was admitted to district headquarters hospital at Jharsuguda. On Monday, he was shifted to VIMSAR at Burla in Sambalpur district as his condition deteriorated. He succumbed on Tuesday. The doctors are yet to confirm the cause of death.
