Odisha Panchayat Polls: Voting Begins In First Phase Amid Tight Security

Bhubaneswar: Voting in the first phase of the three-tier panchayat polls began at 7 am across Odisha on Wednesday amid tight security. Polling will continue till 1 pm.

Voters will decide the fate of 726 zilla parishad candidates in the first phase of the polls.

According to reports, polling was delayed in ward no. 1 in Talanga under Ambaroli panchayat in Bhadrak after the presiding officer reportedly brought ballot papers outside the booth.

In another incident, foreign liquor worth Rs 10 lakh was seized from the terrace of a bar in Anjar area in Keonjhar. Two persons have been arrested.

As many as 225 platoons of police force have been deployed to maintain law and order. Around 37,245 police personnel are supervising security arrangements in booths and sensitive locations.

In the first phase, polling is taking place in 200 zilla parishad zones in 71 blocks, 1,669 panchayats and 22,379 wards. A total of 67.51 lakh voters are exercising their franchise.

Hinjli, Seragada, Patnagarh, Mahanga, Junagarh, Aul and Brahmagiri are some key constituencies going to polls in the first phase. Junagarh will be a key battleground with BJD eyeing to make a comeback after its worst performance in 2017 when it had won only 1 ZP seat. The BJP had swept with 33 of 36 ZP seats.

In 2017, BJP emerged as the principal gainer by winning 297 of 846 Zilla Parishad seats while BJD won 473.