BERHAMPUR: Amid reports of violence and disruptions, ballot boxes were snatched in Gajapati and Rayagada districts during the third phase of the rural polls on Sunday.
In Rayagada, irate villagers from U Musudi and T Musudi under Kalyansingpur block reportedly snatched the ballot box at booth no 14 in Railima after finding their names missing in the voters’ list. Sources said on their way back with the ballot box, the villagers were intercepted by Rayagada SDPO Dibyajyoti Das, tehsildar Debasish Kar and Kalyansingpur IIC Sukuma Hansada. The ballot box was recovered after villagers were assured of action by the tehsildar.
A similar scene played out at S Karadasingi village under Raigada block of Gajapati district where polling was delayed after over 70 persons took away ballot papers and ballot box after failing to find their names in the voters’ list. Only three persons cast their votes in the booth. A team of officials reached the spot but none was available for comment.
Meanwhile, Ganjam witnessed peaceful polling on the day despite several instances of poll-related violence in the last two phases. There was 66.75 per cent voter turnout in the 1,382 booths across the five blocks that went to the poll. As many as 16 temporary booths were opened in inaccessible areas of Patrapur and Dharakote blocks.
In Kalahandi, polling in Dharmagarh, Jaipatana and Koksara blocks was overall smooth. However, there was a stray instance of voting disruption in Nunpani village of Dharmagarh where villagers locked the polling party in the poll centre alleging that the presiding officer did not give tokens to cast votes to many of them. Police later reached the spot and rescued the polling party. A case has been registered.