This Article is From Apr 23, 2019

Lok Sabha Polls: Odisha Records 18% Turnout In 4 Hours, Naveen Patnaik Among Early Voters

Among the early voters today was Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik, who exercised his franchise in a Bhubaneswar booth.

Lok Sabha Polls: Odisha Records 18% Turnout In 4 Hours, Naveen Patnaik Among Early Voters

Naveen Patnaik exuded confidence that his party will post an impressive show in elections. (File)

Bhubaneswar:

An estimated 18 per cent of 92.56 lakh voters exercised their franchise till 11 am in six Lok Sabha and 42 assembly constituencies of Odisha, an election official said.

Long queues of voters were seen outside the polling stations, even before the process commenced at 7 am, he said.

Among the early voters today was Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik, who exercised his franchise in a Bhubaneswar booth.

Mr Patnaik exuded confidence that his party will post an impressive show in the elections.

Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan also cast his vote at a polling booth in Talcher.

All arrangements have been made to ensure hassle-free polling in the six Lok Sabha constituencies Puri, Sambalpur, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Keonjhar and Dhenkanal and the 42 assembly seats that come under them, the poll official said.

"Voting is underway in a peaceful and smooth manner. There has been no untoward incident anywhere, though glitches in EVMs delayed the process in around 50 booths. The snags have been rectified," he added.

The electoral fortunes of 417 candidates, including BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra and Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee President Niranjan Patnaik, will be decided in this third phase of the staggered elections.

A total of 60,000 polling personnel have been engaged to conduct the polls in 10,464 booths of the state, where violence on Sunday left several injured, including an Election Commission (EC) magistrate and a BJD candidate.

One legislator of the ruling BJD has been arrested on the charge of attacking the EC magistrate.

Lok Sabha and assembly elections are being held simultaneously in Odisha in four phases.

.