The State recorded an estimated 70 per cent turnout in the second-phase polls conducted in 11 lok Sabha and 77 Assembly constituencies on Thursday.With this, the fate of 845 poll aspirants got locked in the EVMs till May 16, the day fixed for counting of votes.
Turnouts of both the phases together taken amount to 73 per cent voting, which is more than 66.80 per cent registered in 2009 elections. The State had recorded 75 percent polling in the first phase conducted in 10 lok Sabha and 70 Assembly constituencies.
The second-phase polling conducted in 13 districts was by and large peaceful baring some minor incidents, said State Chief Electoral Officer Mona Sharma. Sharma said the exact voting percentage would be known by Friday as the voting process continued till late in the evening due to the presence of large numbers of electors in the booths.
In addition to voting in 18,692 booths in the second phase, re-polling was held in 22 booths, including 15 in Chitrakonda Assembly segment of the Maoist-dominated Malkangiri district.The second-phase polling will decide electoral fortune of Union Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Srikanta Jena (Baleswar), eight Ministers of the Naveen Patnaik Government, Odisha Assembly Deputy Speaker Sananda Marandi, two sitting Rajya Sabha members, four prominent film stars, 17 former Ministers and nearly 40 sitting MlAs.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Assam Governor and veteran Congress leader JB Pattnaik, his wife Jayanti Patnaik, Congress Chief Jayedeb Jena, State Agriculture and Urban Development Minister Debi Prasad Mishra and Steel and Mines Minister Rajani Kanta Singh exercised their franchise in their respective constituencies on Thursday morning.
The CEO said while Dhenkanal and Anugul districts each recorded the highest turnout of 75 pre cent polling despite the scorching heat, the politically conscious and educated district Khordha recorded the lowest polling of around 45 per cent with three Assembly constituencies under Bhubaneswar recording abysmally low turnout of 40 per cent. Cuttack also witnessed low polling of around 48 per cent, CEO said.
Responding to a query, Sharma informed that though EVMs were replaced in as many as 300 booths due to snag, polling was disrupted nowhere. But some miscreants damaged EVMs in four booths under the Niali Assembly constituency, he said.
On law and order situation during poll, Sharam said minor incidents occurred in at least nine places, including Nayagarah, Khandapada, Mahanga, Mahakalapada, Dhenkanal, Brahmagiri and Ghasipura.
Final phase: State’s voters’ turnout 70%
She said at least two persons died during the second phase poll. One old man who came to vote in a booth under Baleswar Sadar Assembly constituency collapsed due to sunstroke while standing in the queue. Similarly, a Polling Officer in Kendrapada died during poll, she informed. Earlier, three polling personnel, including a driver and a Presiding officer, were killed on Wednesday in a road accident, she said.
The CEO admitted that large numbers of voters could not exercise their franchise in Bhubaneswar, Khordha and other places due to deletion of their names in the electoral rolls. However, she said the issue would be investigated and action would be taken against those involved in the process of preparing the revised electoral rolls.