OST Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Feb 6:

Elections to the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) and Baripada Municipality began this morning.

According to reports reaching here, people started trickling into the booths well before voting began at 8 am. The number of voters is expected to pick up during the day.

The polling would end at 5 pm.

In Cuttack, polling began peacefully. A total of 3,94,810 voters in 59 wards would exercise their franchise in 422 booths to decided the fate of 350 candidates.

Of the total 422 booths in the Millennium City, the district administration has identified 253 booths as sensitive and 20 as hyper-sensitive.

To ensure peaceful polling, 56 platoons of armed police forces have been pressed into service.

In Baripada, polling has begun in 78 booths where a total of 68,854 voters would exercise their franchise. 140 candidates from various political parties are contesting the polls.

Of the 78 booths, the district administration has deployed additional security in 49 sensitive booths.