BHUBANESWAR: Campaigning for first phase elections in Odisha ended on Saturday. At least four Lok Sabha constituencies and 28 Assembly segments under them will go to polls in the phase on May 13.
Congress MP Saptagiri Ulaka, BJD candidate from Nabarangpur Pradeep Majhi, BJP MP candidate Pradeep Panigrahy and Jeypore MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati are among the 37 Lok Sabha and 243 Assembly nominees whose fate will be decided in the phase.
Dispersal of polling parties has begun and all arrangements are in place for smooth and inclusive voting in the first phase, chief electoral officer (CEO) Nikunja Bihari Dhal said.
He said a total of 62.87 lakh voters, including 30.97 lakh males and 31.89 lakh females will exercise their franchise at 7,303 polling booths.
“Female voters outnumber their male counterparts in the phase,” the CEO said. He added Koraput, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi and Berhampur Lok Sabha constituencies that will go to polls in the first phase are traditionally areas where voting percentage has been higher in the past.
“To ensure a positive and fulfilling electoral experience for voters we have established all-women, all-differently-abled and all-young persons polling stations. Around 17 per cent of the poling stations will be model polling stations,” the CEO said.
A total of 1,264 polling stations, amounting to around 17 per cent of the total number of booths, in the first phase are critical. Some of the polling stations are located in areas that have a history of left wing extremism.
Keeping this in view, the CEO said deployment of 104 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) including 31 CRPF companies, 39 BSF and 27 of armed police force of other states has been initiated. Around 25 companies will be deployed in Malkangiri, 18 in Koraput, 17 in Kalahandi, 10 each in Nuapada and Ganjam, 8 in Rayagada and 4 in Gajapati.
While the usual time of voting is 7 am to 7 pm, it has been changed in some places in view of the situation, he said. “Given all the measures are in place, we are confident that the polling process will be smooth and peaceful in all the four Lok Sabha constituencies and their Assembly segments in the first phase,” Dhal said.
Stage set
62.87 lakh voters including 30.97 lakh males and 31.89 lakh females will exercise their franchise at 7,303 polling booths
Female voters outnumber their male counterparts
1,264 polling stations or around 17 pc of the total number of booths, in the first phase are critical