BHUBANESWAR: Around 40.5 lakh voters will exercise their franchise to elect mayors, chairpersons, corporators and councillors in 109 urban local bodies, including three municipal corporations of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Berhampur, on Thursday.
The tenure of these civic bodies had ended in 2018-19. However, elections could not be held owing to various reasons including seat reservation and Covid-19 pandemic. A total of 569 mayor and chairperson, 5,842 corporator and councillor candidates are in the fray. Polling will take place at 1,837 wards from 8 am to 5 pm on Thursday, while counting of votes will start from 8 am onwards on March 26.
While urging voters to exercise their franchise, State Election Commissioner Aditya Prasad Padhi also warned that action will be taken against those found taking part in the urban elections after voting in the recently concluded panchayat polls.
Over 22,000 polling personnel have been deployed for election duty. Keeping in view the incidents of pre-poll violence reported from different parts of the State, police stated that over 200 platoons police force and 450 mobile patrolling units will be engaged to ensure free and fair polling on the day.
A total 105 platoons force and 110 mobile patrolling squads along with other police officers will be deployed in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Berhampur, while another 100 platoons police force along with 340 mobile patrolling parties will man the remaining 47 municipalities and 59 NACs.
Besides, one constable, havildar, or armed police will be deployed in each booth to ensure law and order. The State Election Commission has also made provision of striking force in ULBs. Elections for the posts of mayor in the corporations and chairpersons in municipalities and NACs this year will be direct and EVMs will be used in the civic polls for the first time.
Two EVMs will be used in each booth of the municipal corporations, municipalities and NACs to elect mayors and corporators besides, chairpersons and councillors. Voters will also have the option of none-of-the-above.