1st Phase Election: CEO briefs on curtailed polling hours in LWE-hit areas

Bhubaneswar: With notification issued for the first phase election in Odisha, State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Nikunja Bihari Dhal on Thursday said that political parties have been advised against taking out huge rallies during filing of nominations in view of the heatwave conditions.

Briefing the media after a meeting, Dhal said that they have also been asked to follow the heatwave advisory during campaigning. “The filing of nominations four parliamentary- Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Koraput and Berhampur- constituencies and 28 Assembly seats will continue till April 25. While the nomination papers will be scrutinized on April 26, candidates can withdraw their nomination papers till April 29,” he said.

Three observers have been appointed for polling in these constituencies on May 13. “In addition to 7,289 polling stations, 14 auxiliary voting booths will be established where the voters count exceeds 1,500,” he said.

The CEO further said that there are more female voters (31,87,771) compared to male (30,96,243) in these four Lok Sabha constituencies. Among the total 62,84649 voters, 635 are transgender. “While 2.78% voters are in the 18-19 years age group, 23.34% are in 20-29 years age group,” he said.

While voting booths will be open from 7 am to 6 pm, there will be two hours of less polling time in Left wing extremism-affected assembly segments. “These include 68 polling booths in two constituencies in Nuapada district, Lanjigarh assembly segment, 19 polling stations at Narla, 62 polling stations in Nabarangpur, Laxmipur and Pottangi assembly seats, and Mohana in Gajapati,” he said.

He added that polling in Kotpad and Koraput, Malkangiri, Rayagada and other seats in Gajapati and Nuadapa districts will end at 5 pm.

Dhal said that the EC has so far received 3,873 complaints through C-Vigil app for model code of conduct violation and 3,854 of these have been disposed so far. “We have received maximum complaints from Puri, Khurda, Cuttack, Jajpur, Ganjam, Kandhamal and Mayurbhanj districts. Most of those complaints (around 2,700) are regarding posters and banners.”

He further informed that inducements valued at Rs 118.65 crore have been sized since March 1. “The enforcement agencies have seized Rs 2.7 crore in cash, liquor valued at Rs 18.19 crore, drugs and narcotics worth Rs 43.69 crore, precious metals worth Rs 7.17 crore and freebies and other items worth 47.44 crore between March 1 and April 17,” he added.