India News | Polling Underway for Fourth Phase of Odisha Panchayat Elections

Bhubaneswar, Feb 22 (PTI) Polling was underway across 27 districts for the fourth phase of panchayat elections in Odisha on Tuesday amid tight security, officials said.

The polling began at 7 am and will continue till 1 pm in 17,089 booths in 1,254 panchayats, they said.

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Over 51.31 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise for electing 163 Zilla Parishad members in this phase. As many as 667 candidates are in the fray.

Till 11 am, 36 per cent voter turnout was reported.

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Heavy security arrangements were put in place with 257 platoons of police deployed (one platoon comprise 30 personnel) in the wake of widespread violence and irregularities in the first three phases, officials said.

Booth rigging, ballot box snatching and other incidents of violence were reported from across the state in the earlier phases, they said.

As many as 1,473 mobile patrolling units along with district police officers are also keeping a close watch on the polling process.

Security has been further tightened in Naxalism-hit districts of Koraput, Malkangiri and Kandhamal. The voting in these districts has so far been encouraging, State Election Commissioner AP Padhi said.

Most incidents of violence were reported from the coastal districts of Jajpur, Bhadrak, Puri, Balasore, Kendrapara and Nayagarh -- the stronghold of the ruling BJD, police sources said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)