Polling in Patkura assembly seat on July 20

Polls to Patkura assembly seat in Odisha's Kendrapara will be held on July 20 and counting will be taken up four days later on July 24, the Election Commission said on Thursday.

With this announcement, the model code of conduct comes into force in Kendrapara, an official said.

In its notification, the EC said adequate number of EVMs and VVPATs will be made available for the polls and all steps will to be taken to ensure free and fair election.

The Patkura poll, which was earlier scheduled to be held on April 29 during the fourth phase election in Odisha, was postponed following the death of BJD candidate Bed Prakash Agarwalla on April 20.

The EC had initially rescheduled the polling process to May 19, but the date had to be postponed again in the wake of Cyclone Fani, which claimed several lives and left behind a trail of destruction in the state.

All the three major parties - the BJD, the Congress and the BJP - have fielded candidates in Patkura.

While the BJD fielded Agarwalla's wife Sabitri as its candidate, senior leader Bijoy Mohapatra is the BJP nominee for the seat. The Congress has named Jayant Mohanty as its candidate from the seat.