Odisha Panchayat Elections: Polling For 23 Posts Postponed After Deaths Of Candidates

Bhubaneswar: The State Election Commission (SEC) on Wednesday informed that polling for 23 posts in the three-tier panchayat elections in Odisha have been postponed because of death of candidates. Voting took place in the first phase of the polls on Wednesday.

The SEC informed that polling for one zilla parishad post, six sarpanch posts, three panchayat samiti member posts and 13 ward member posts have been deferred.

Of the ward member candidates who died, one each was from Angul, Bargarh, Ganjam, Kendrapara, Keonjhar, Nayagarh and Nuapada, and two each from Balangir, Jagatsinghpur and Mayurbhanj.

Sarpanch candidates who passed away were from Balasore, Cuttack, Jajpur and Nabarangpur. Two were from Bargarh.

Two samiti member candidates who died were from Angul, Balasore and Nuapada. The zilla parishad candidate was from Keonjhar.

In Bargarh, Valmiki Pradhan (52), sarpanch candidate for Gobindapur panchayat, died of cardiac arrest on Wednesday. The polls were scheduled for February 24.

In Cuttack, Namita Behera (32), a sarpanch candidate in Jasapada panchayat under Sadar block, died on Tuesday night. The candidate was identified as Namita Behera (32).

Bhagirathi Amanatya, Sarpanch candidate of B.Maliguda under Nandahandi block in Nabarangpur district died during treatment at Koraput hospital. Election in the concerned zone was scheduled to take place on February 18.