BHUBANESWAR: Notifications for four Lok Sabha and 28 Assembly constituencies of Odisha which go to polls in the fourth phase of elections in the country and the first in the state on May 13, were issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday.
Polling will be held in Kalahandi, Nabarangpur (ST), Berhampur and Koraput Lok Sabha seats in the fourth phase, stated the notification. Chief electoral officer (CEO) Nikunja Behari Dhal said elections will also be held in 28 Assembly constituencies, segments of the four Lok Sabha seats, on the day.
The filing of nomination papers started for the constituencies on Thursday. While the last date for filing of nominations is April 25, the papers will be scrutinised on April 26. The last date of withdrawal of nominations is April 29, he added.
The CEO told mediapersons that political parties have been advised not to take out huge rallies during the filing of nominations because of the heatwave conditions. While booths will be open from 7 am to 6 pm, the polling time will be two hours less in some areas. The booths will close at 4 pm in left-wing extremism-affected segments. These include 39 polling stations in Nuapada and 29 in Khariar segment. However, polling will be closed in both these Assembly segments at 5 pm.
Similarly, polling will be closed at 4 pm at 22 polling stations in Umerkote (ST) segment but in non-affected polling stations, voting will continue till 6 pm.
The CEO said voting in 40 polling stations in Jharigram (ST), Nabarangpur (ST) and Dabugam (ST) segments will be closed at 4 pm. Similarly, polling will be completed in all the polling stations in Lanjigarh (ST) segment in Kalahandi district by 4 pm.
In Mohana (ST), Laxmipur (ST) and Pottangi (ST) segments, he said, voting will be closed at 4 pm. Polling in Kotpad and Koraput, Malkangiri, Rayagada and other seats in Gajapati and Nuadapa districts will end at 5 pm.
Voting will take place in as many as 7,289 polling stations across the four seats. As many as 14 auxiliary polling stations have also been set up at different places where more than 1,500 voters will be able to exercise their franchise.
The CEO said there are more female voters (31,87,771) compared to male (30,96,243) in the four Lok Sabha constituencies. Among the total 62,84649 voters, 635 are transgenders. “While 2.78 per cent voters are in the 18-19 year age group, 23.34 per cent are in 20-29 year age group,” he said.
Ready for battle: Four LS and 28 Assembly seats
The last date for filing of nominations: April 25
Scrutiny : April 26
Last date of withdrawal of nominations: April 29
In LWE-affected areas, poling closes at 4 pm
Over 31 lakh female voters to exercise their franchise in this election.