Odisha records 9.25 per cent polling by 9 AM

Bhubaneswar, May 13 , 2024 : Four Lok Sabha and 28 Assembly constituencies in Odisha
with nearly 63 lakh voters recorded 9.25 per cent turnout in the first two hours of polling
on Monday, Election Commision sources here said. According to the poll panel sources, the
highest 10.59 percent polling was reported from the Koraput Lok Sabha segment,
followed by Nabarangpur (9.28), Kalahandi (9.33) and Berhampur (7.80).
As many as 62,87,222 voters are scheduled to exercise their franchise in 7,303 polling stations.
Voting began at 7am this morning amid tight security. People were seen standing in long queues
to exercise their franchise. Polling is also being held in 28 Assembly constituencies under the four parliamentary seats. Polling was delayed in some booths due to certain technical glitches in EVMs.
EVM glitches were reported from Booth No. 66 at Malkangiri’s Kumutiguda; Booth No. 207 in
Rayagada; Booth No. 101 at Nuapada; Booth No. 89 and 72 at Khariar’s Loharapali and Podapali
respectively. In booth no 160 and 194 at Jaipur and at booth no 59 and 60 of Boriguma. Polling
started after the EVMs were replaced. Tension was witnessed at booth no 146 of Chikiti after some people armed with bamboo sticks tried to prevent the agents of the BJP into the booth before the election began. The miscreants vanished from the spot after the police reached and the polling continued smoothly in the booth. Odisha Chief Electoral Officer Nikunja Kishore Dhal told the media here that technical glitches in EVMs were noticed during the mock polling in some booths and they were replaced within 30 minutes. The maximum number of complainant was received from Kalahandi. But polling was going on smoothly in all the poling stations. Dhal said the voters in Swabhiman area, where in 2019, the voters had exercised their franchinese in 23 booths opened in BSF camps due to the threat of Maoits, are casting their votes in their villages this time.