71% Voters Get Inked In Last-Phase Elections In Odisha; 60% Fall In Poll-Related Offence

Bhubaneswar: Amid stray incidents of violence and EVM glitches, the final phase of elections in Odisha witnessed brisk polling with 70.67 per cent voter turnout in six Lok Sabha constituencies and 42 Assembly segments under them, according to data updated till 11.30 pm.

According to the Election Commission of India (ECI), 73.81 per cent polling was reported in Mayurbhanj, 73.06 per cent in Jagatsinghpur, 70.41 per cent in Balasore, 70.34 per cent in Bhadrak and 68.64 per cent in Kendrapada. Jajpur recorded turnout of around 67.91 per cent.Among the Assembly seats, Bangiriposi saw the highest voting of 77.52 per cent and Aul the lowest at 62.38 per cent.

Odisha saw the least voter out of 7.79 per cent among seven states and one union territory, which went to polls on Saturday, till 9 am but voting then picked up gradually with 22.64 per cent by 11 am, 37.64 per cent by 1 pm, 49.77 per cent by 3 pm and 62.46 per cent by 5 pm.

Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Odisha, Nikunja Bihari Dhal said voting percentage is expected to touch at least 75 per cent, considering the long queues of people in polling stations and the trend in previous phases. “The overall voter turnout in the four phases is also expected to increase to around 75 per cent after compilation of the final data which is our internal target for the 2024 general elections,” he added.In 2019 polls, the figure was around 73 per cent.

Violence was reported during polling at some booths in Salepur Assembly segment as BJD and BJP workers clashed with each other. At least two BJP workers, including a polling agent of BJP candidate Arindam Roy, were grievously injured after allegedly being attacked by BJD supporters at the booth in Mala Shasan panchayat.

While Roy alleged that his party’s workers were attacked by BJD workers after they objected to booth capturing, district election officer of Cuttack ruled out any booth capturing in Salepur.

In Bhadrak, a 32-year-old man stabbed his wife, who had gone to cast her vote with her uncle, to death in front of a polling station in Muktadiha village.

Sporadic incidents of violence were also reported from Dhamnagar, Patkura, Jajpur and other Assembly seats. There were also reports of poll boycott in a few constituencies, including Jashipur where around 750 voters from two villages reportedly refused to exercise their franchise over lack of basic amenities.

A 67-year-old man from Ishwarpur village reportedly died while standing in a queue at a polling station in Nilagiri area of Balasore amid intense heat and high humidity. A booth-level officer on election duty, Manoranjan Sahu, also died of a suspected heart attack at a booth in Oleichandanpur of Jajpur district.

Dhal, however, said general elections 2024 saw around 60 per cent less incidence of electoral offences, making it one of the most peaceful elections to be held in the state. Around 124 electoral offences, including incidence of violation of model code of conduct, social media offences and poll-related violence, were reported during this poll season compared to 327 in 2019.

Seizure of 285 illegal firearms, surrender of 14,762 licenced firearms out of 20,000 weapons in the state and action against 80,000 people under preventive sections of the law contributed towards the peaceful conduct of elections, Dhal said.

He put the election-related seizure at approximately Rs 280 crore, which included Rs 20.52 crore cash, Rs 42.33 crore worth liquor, Rs 78.82 crore worth drugs, Rs 14.70 crore worth precious metal and over Rs 122 crore worth freebies.