Bhubaneswar: Defying the national dip in turnout trend, Odisha registered around 74 per cent polling (till 11.30 pm) in the first-round Lok Sabha and assembly elections in Odisha on Monday which was largely peaceful barring some sporadic incidents of violence.
The voter turnout is likely to increase significantly when final figures are available.
Voting was held in four Lok Sabha seats, Berhampur, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur and Koraput along with 28 Assembly constituencies under them. While polling in 7,303 booths in the four Lok Sabha zones started at 7 am after some hiccups with EVMs for which some control units, ballot units and VVPATs had to be replaced, the closure time varied depending on the number of people who had lined-up to exercise their franchise till 6 pm.
Nabarangpur recorded the highest polling of 80.22 per cent followed by Kalahandi and Koraput at 75.71 per cent and 77 per cent respectively and Berhampur the lowest at 63.34 per cent. Similarly, Nabarangpur Assembly segment recorded the highest polling of 85.61 per cent followed by 85.20 per cent in Dabugam. Jharigam, Pottangi, Kotpad, Laxmipur and Umerkote also recorded more than 80 per cent voting. Berhampur Assembly segment recorded the lowest turnout of 54.14 per cent.
The disputed Kotia panchayat, caught in a border dispute with Andhra Pradesh, witnessed a robust voter turnout of 76 per cent as people came out to vote enthusiastically, exceeding the 2019 general turnout of 74.77 per cent.
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Odisha, Nikunja Behari attributed low polling in Berhampur to the fact that people in urban areas generally do not vote as enthusiastically as those in rural parts. “The voting process was largely peaceful barring a few minor skirmishes reported from Chikiti area,” he added.
The CEO also directed suspension of presiding officers of three polling booths in Ganjam and arrest of two of them for serious dereliction of duty in the conduct of election. He identified the arrested duo as presiding officers of Chhatrapur booth no 27 and Chhatrapur polling station no 163.
While supporters of BJP and BJD clashed in Chikiti, tension prevailed at a polling booth in K Nuagaon after some agents were accused of trying to influence voters to vote for a particular political party. BJP candidate from Jharigam, Narasingh Bhatra, was also allegedly assaulted by some miscreants when he was entering a booth to verify reports of booth capturing at Deulakana village in the constituency.
Around 62.87 voters were eligible to cast the votes in the first-round elections in South Odisha and seal the fate of 280 candidates in the fray.
Polling for the next 3 rounds will be held on May 20, May 25 and June 1.
