Baring stray incidents of violence, the fifth and final phase of the three-tier Panchayat polls in Odisha concluded peacefully on Thursday. The State Election Commission (SEC) said that the final phase recorded a voter turnout of over 70 percent by end of the voting today. The percentage is likely to go up after final compilation of data.
State Election Commissioner Aditya Prasad Padhi said that voting was disrupted in some districts and appropriate steps will be taken after a detailed report was received from the concerned district Collectors.
Over 41 lakh eligible voters exercised their franchise in the final phase of the Panchayat elections which were held at 13514 booths in 975 Panchayats under 48 Blocks across 25 districts today.
“In the Panchayat polls, over 40,000 police personnel and other officials were involved and a large number of voters turning up to exercise their franchise is a healthy sign for democracy,” said Padhi.
According to Padhi, voting was peaceful at Chitrakonda, the Swabhiman Anchal (Cut-off region) in Malkangiri district, where the election was held after many years. The polling was held in two Zilla Parishad zones and 18 Panchayats. Over 41,000 voters were scheduled to exercise their franchise in the Panchayat polls. Tight security arrangements were also made for the polling today.
Earlier in the day, tension prevailed at Niali in Cuttack district after ballot boxes were allegedly thrown into a pond, hastening halting of polling at 9 booths–11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19 – in Pokharigan Panchayat.
Reports of booth rigging also surfaced from booth No(s) 1,2,3,4,5, 20 and 21. Some voters were allegedly thrashed by the supporter of a Sarpanch candidate which also sparked tension with locals staging a road blockade in Pokharigan chhak demand re-polling.
Similarly, tension was also reported at Dhamnagar’s Arjunpur Panchayat in Bhadrak after some polling agents were allegedly thrashed by miscreants at booth No(s) 3, 4 and 8. The polling was also disrupted at booth number 6 and 7 following group clash and booth rigging attempts.
Booth rigging allegations were also received from Litimaska, Bodapadar, Karabadi under Thuamul Rampur Blocks in Kalahandi district today.