Elections to eight ULBs begin in Odisha

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Bhubaneswar, Apr 7:

Elections to eight urban local bodies (ULBs) began in Odisha this morning.

Polling which began for Paradip, Sunabeda and Belpahar Municipalities and Redhakhol, Tusra, Dharmagarh, Daspalla and Balimela Notified Area Councils (NACs) at 8 AM, would conclude at 5 PM.

A total of 1,50,186 voters would decided the fate of 469 candidates contesting in a total of 129 wards.

According to reports, there was a long queue of voters at most of the booths who will exercise their franchise through the electronic voting machines (EVMs).

Out of a total of 183 booths, the State Election Commission (SEC) as per the reports of the district collectors and SPs, has identified 115 booth as sensitive and 18 are highly sensitive where CCTV cameras have been installed to monitor the election proceedings.

According to State Election Commissioner Rabi Narayan Senapati, for each booth, a presiding officer and three polling officers have been engaged while a total of 183 presiding officers and 549 polling officers have been engaged.

He also said to ensure smooth polling, all booths have been provided with adequate police force while extra police force and a mobile police team have been deployed at the sensitive and highly sensitive booths.

The SEC said that the counting of votes would begin tomorrow morning while the results would be announced later in the day.