EC reschedules poll timing in Odisha

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Mar 15:

The Election Commission, in its notification today, has rescheduled polling timing for the first phase elections in Odisha on April 10.

Briefing the media here, state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Mona Sharma said as per the notification, out of a total of seven Assembly constituencies under Bargarh Lok Sabha constituency, polling would begin at Padmapur, Bijepur, Atabira and Bhatli constituencies from 7 AM to 4 PM while polling at Baragrh, Brajarajnagar and Jharsuguda would begin from 7 AM to 6 PM.

Of the seven Assembly constituencies under Sundargarh Lok Sabha constituency, polling would begin at Talasara, Sundargarh, Biramitrapur, Raghunathpalli, Rajgangpur and Bonai from 7 AM to 4 PM while for Rourkela Assembly constituency, the timing is from 7 AM to 6 PM, she informed.

For seven Assembly constituencies under Brahmapur Lok Sabha constituency, polling would begin from 7 AM to 6 AM at Chhatrapur, Gopalpur, Brahmapur, Digapahandi and Chikiti while the timing for Mohana and Paralakhemundi would be from 7 AM to 4 PM.

The poll timing in all Assembly constituencies under Aska Lok Sabha constituency would be from 7 AM to 6 PM, the timing for all Assembly constituencies under Koraput, Kalahandi, Nabarangpur, Bolangir and Kandhamal Lok Sabha constituencies is from 7 AM to 4 PM.

For Kuchinda, Rengali, Redhakhol, Debagarh, Chhendipada and Athmallick Assembly constituencies under Sambalpur Lok Sabha constituency, the polling would begin from 7 AM to 4 PM, the CEO informed.

She said candidates contesting for Lok Sabha seats will have to file their nominations before the respective district collectors who have been designated as the District Election Officers (DEOs) while candidates contesting for Assembly seats would file nominations before the sub collectors designated as Returning Officers (ROs).

She, however, made it clear that there would be no filing of nominations on any government holiday and holidays coming under the Negotiable Instruments Act.

It may be mentioned that polling would be held for 10 Lok Sabha and 70 Assembly seats in the state in the first phase elections as announced by the EC earlier.