Bhubaneswar, (Orissa Today), May 14: The initial phase of simultaneous Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in Odisha witnessed a robust turnout, with the state recording a notable 73.97% voter participation on Monday.
As the first phase of polling concluded, voters cast their ballots in 28 assembly constituencies and Lok Sabha seats of Kalahandi, Koraput, Nabarangpur, and Berhampur. Nikunja Bihari Dhal, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), confirmed the turnout figure.
Data from the CEO’s office revealed that the voter participation stood at 73.97% by 11:45 pm. Among the constituencies, Berhampur saw 63.34% voter turnout, while Kalahandi witnessed 75.71%. Similarly, Koraput recorded 76.98%, and Nabarangpur marked an impressive 80.22% voter engagement.
Polling commenced at 7 am for both Lok Sabha and Assembly seats across Kalahandi, Koraput, Nabarangpur, and Berhampur. A total of 37 candidates vied for four Lok Sabha seats, while 243 contenders contested in the Assembly across Odisha.
Initially, 266 candidates filed nominations for Assembly seats, but the final count settled at 243. For the Lok Sabha, 38 candidates submitted nominations, with one being rejected, leaving 37 in contention.
To facilitate voting, the Election Commission set up 7,303 polling booths across the constituencies, catering to 62,87,222 eligible voters, including 30,97,527 male and 31,89,060 female voters.
