Voting underway in Odisha for 4 LS, 28 Assembly seats

Bhubaneswar, May 13 (IANS) Polling for four Lok Sabha and 28 Assembly constituencies is underway in Odisha on Monday amid tight security arrangements.

The four Lok Sabha seats where polling is underway are Berhampur, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi and Koraput.

According to the Election Commission, 9.25 per cent voter turnout has been recorded till 9 a.m.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik have appealed to the voters to exercise their franchise.

"Assembly Elections commenced in Odisha today. I call upon the people of this state to vote in large numbers. Your vote is your voice - let it be heard loudly and clearly," PM Modi said in an appeal to the electorate.

"Your every vote will strengthen the foundation of democracy and lead the trend of development. Join the great celebration of democracy by voting in large numbers in General Election 2024," said the chief minister.

A total of 62, 87, 222 voters are expected to exercise their right to franchise to seal the fate of 280 candidates.

Prominent leaders in the fray include senior Congress leader Saptagiri Ulaka, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Pradeep Kumar Panigrahy, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee President Sarat Pattanaik, cine star Sidhant Mohapatra and former bureaucrat Bijay Kumar Pattanaik.

As many as 53,000 polling officials have been deployed in 7,303 polling booths for the first phase of polling in the state.

Addressing a press conference, State Chief Electoral Officer Nikunj Bihari Dhal said that electronic voting machines (EVMs) were found malfunctioning during the mock poll. As many as 52 ballot units, 58 control units and 43 VVPATs have been replaced at some booths out of the 7,303 polling booths of the state.

Dhal further added that the maximum number of EVM machines have been replaced in Kalahandi parliamentary constituency.

Assembly and Lok Sabha elections will be held simultaneously in Odisha in four phases from May 13 to June 1. The results for both Lok Sabha and Assembly elections will be out on June 4.