The voting process for four Lok Sabha constituencies and 28 assembly segments in Odisha came to a close on Monday, with the Election Commission ensuring comprehensive arrangements for fair polling.
Voting took place in Berhampur, Koraput, Nabarangpur, and Kalahandi Lok Sabha constituencies, along with 28 assembly segments falling under their purview, as confirmed by Odisha’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) N B Dhal.
A total of 37 candidates contested for the Lok Sabha seats, while 243 nominees vied for the assembly seats, representing major parties like BJD, Congress, and BJP, alongside smaller regional parties and independent candidates.
Polling commenced at 7 AM across 7,303 polling stations in the four Lok Sabha seats and their assembly segments and concluded by 6 PM, with personnel deployed to oversee the process.
In some remote areas where Maoist activities posed a challenge, polling ended between 4 PM and 5 PM, as stated by the CEO.
A significant voter turnout of 62.87 lakh electors, including 31.89 lakh women, participated in the elections, surpassing the count of male electors, which stood at 30.97 lakhs.
The Lok Sabha seats spanned across six Maoist-affected police districts and three other police districts, as highlighted by Odisha DGP Arun Kumar Sarangi.
Critical measures such as webcasting were implemented in 60% of polling stations, with 1,264 identified as critical, including all booths in Maoist-affected areas, according to the CEO.
The polling process engaged 53,000 personnel, with special provisions like 715 all-women booths and 39 booths for persons with disabilities.
Several prominent leaders, including sitting MP Saptagiri Ulaka of Congress and former MPs Pradeep Majhi of BJD and Balabhdra Maji of BJP contested for Lok Sabha seats, while state ministers and MLAs competed in the assembly polls.
The electoral campaigning saw the active participation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with other senior BJP leaders, while Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addressed rallies in support of their respective parties.