No restriction on campaigning for Urban Polls in Odisha: SEC

Bhubaneswar: There will be no COVID-related restriction on campaigning for Urban Polls-2022 in Odisha, said State Election Commissioner Aditya Prasad Padhi, today.

As the COVID-19 cases are decreasing the state, it has been decided not to impose any restriction on campaigning for the elections, said Padhi.

However, restrictions will be imposed if the COVID-19 cases rise again, the official said.

More polling personnel will be engaged in the polls as there will be two EVMs in each booth– one for the election of Councillor/ Corporator and another for Chairperson/ Mayor, he said.

Each team of polling personnel will have one presiding officer and four polling officers, he added.

Notably, elections to 106 Urban Local Bodies (47 Municipalities and 59 NACs) and three municipal corporations in Odisha will be held on March 24. The counting of votes and declaration of results will take place on March 26.

Elections to the posts of mayors in municipal corporations and chairpersons of municipalities and notified area councils (NACs) will be held for the very first time.

More than 27 lakh voters will exercise their franchise at 3030 booths in 1731 wards of the 106 Urban Local Bodies. Similarly, polling will be held at 1407 booths in 168 wards of three municipal corporations–  Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) and Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC). There are around 14.26 lakh voters in the 3 municipal corporations.

There will be NOTA option in the ULB elections for the first time in Odisha.