BHUBANESWAR : After first and second phase, nomination filing process for six more Lok Sabha constituencies and 42 Assembly seats under them, that will go to polls in the third phase, began on Monday.
The Lok Sabha constituencies - Sambalpur, Puri, Bhubaneswaar, Cutttack, Keonjhar and Dhenkanal along with their 42 Assembly segments will go to polls in phase - III on May 25. As per the notification of the Election Commission of India, nomination filing process for the third phase will continue till May 6. Scrutiny of nomination papers will take place on May 7, while the last date for withdrawal of nominations is May 9.
ECI representatives said a total of 94,41,797 voters, including 48,26,375 males and 46,14,134 females will exercise their franchise in more than 10,500 booths in the third phase, considered to be most crucial in terms of the number of Lok Sabha and Assembly seats as well as the number of heavyweights in the electoral battle.
A triangular fight is expected in Sambalpur, where Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan is fighting on a BJP ticket against BJD general secretary Pranab Prakash Das.Congress too has added a twist by replacing its candidate Dulal Chandra Pradhan with Nagendra Pradhan, former BJD minister and ex-MP from Sambalpur at the last moment. Apart from Sambalpur, tough fight is also expected in Puri, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack Lok Sabha seats and in some of their Assembly segments in the phase.