Odisha Pancahyat Elections: 77% Voter Turnout in Final Phase

Bhubaneswar: An average of 77 percent of the electorate today cast their votes amidst tight security in the last and final phase of the three-tier Panchayat election in Odisha.

"Polling was conducted peacefully through out Odisha including Maoist hit areas except some minor disturbance," State Election Commissioner Rabinarayan Senapati told reporters.

He said the polling was held today in 16,148 wards of 1,173 gram panchayats under 58 blocks and 150 Zilla Parishad constituencies spread over 26 of the 30 districts of the state. The rural polls were completed in four districts of Angul, Boudh, Jharsuguda and Malkangiri in four previous phases, Senapati said.

Senapati informed that though polling was held at 26-Belpada Zilla Parisahd Zone in Bolangir district on Tuesday, its results will not be declared along with others on February 25. While highest voter turn out of 88 percent was reported in Subarnapur district while the lowest 67 percent polling had been received in Ganjam district.

Senapati said the polling percentage increased by phases. While the ratio was 71 percent in the first phase of polling on February 13, it increased to 73 percent in second phase of polling on February 15. In the remaining third and fourth phases, the polling per centage was 75 and 76 respectively.

The overall polling percentage in the three-tier rural polls in the State stood at 74 percent.

Replying to a question, Senapati said: "Wherever the poll has been disrupted, the detailed report from the concerned District Collectors is awaited. After receipt of report, the report, the commission will examine the matter and take further decision."

A report from Jajpur district said that the polling was postponed at two booths in Kantor panchayat under Korei block as the names of some of the sarpanch candidates were missing from the ballot paper.

Though there were seven candidates in the fray, the name of only five candidates were there in the ballot paper. Therefore, names of two candidates were missing from the ballot paper which were issued to booth no 10 and 11 in Kantor panchayat.

The district administration postponed polling at the two booths, official sources said.