Odisha CEO urges parties to follow ECI guidelines for Nuapada by-election

Bhubaneswar, Oct 9 (UNI) Odisha Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) RS Gopalan today appealed to all political parties to strictly adhere to the guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to ensure that the forthcoming Nuapada Assembly by-election is conducted in a free, fair, and impartial manner.

Presiding over a meeting with representatives of various political parties in Bhubaneswar, Gopalan said that all necessary arrangements have been made by the CEO’s office for the smooth conduct of polling, scheduled for November 11.
He informed that, as per ECI guidelines, the number of voters per polling booth has been limited to 1,200 this year.
In the Nuapada by-election, there were 2,53,624 voters, including 1,24,108 male, 1,29,495 female, and 21 third-gender voters.
The final electoral roll also includes 9,429 first-time voters, 3,988 persons with disabilities, and 1,786 senior citizens aged 85 years. To accommodate the electorate, the CEO said that 56 new polling stations have been set up for the by-election.
Gopalan further reminded political parties that, with the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), prior approval from the Commission is mandatory before releasing advertisements in electronic, print, social, and web media, as well as through cinema halls, radio, posters, and hoardings.

He also emphasized the requirement for candidates to publish details of their criminal antecedents in print media and notify the Commission accordingly.
The meeting also reviewed issues related to election expenditure, the list of star campaigners, and strict compliance with the Model Code of Conduct.
The session was attended by representatives of various political parties along with Additional CEO Sushant Kumar Mishra, Deputy CEO Dr. Laxmi Prasad Sahu, and Anamika Singh.