The polling in Baleswar, Bhadrak and Mayurbhanj districts passed off peacefully barring a few minor incidents on Thursday. The voters’ turnout was around 80 per cent.
In Baleswar district, great enthusiasm was noticed among voters, especially the young and first-time voters. They by and large appeared to be in favour of the BJD Government in the State while preferring a change at the Centre.Two mishaps took place in Baleswar. In a booth at Talabarei under Parakhi panchayat of the Sadar Assembly, 52-year-old Narendra Jena collapsed while in the queue for voting.
He was rushed to the District Headquarters Hospital, where he was declared brought dead.In another incident, Suresh Patra (27) of Naikudi GP under Basta block while going to a booth to cast vote sustained injuries after he was hit by a truck allegedly engaged in polling duty.
He was undergoing treatment in the headquarters hospital. “In Bhograi, some voters had created some problems in a booth demanding checking of the voters’ verifiable paper audit trail (by which a candidate can see whom he cast vote). When they insisted, the in- charge of the booth sorted out the issue.” said officer-in-charge of elections Padmanabh Dora.