LS polls 2024 phase 5: Odisha records over 35% voter turnout till 11 am

Odisha recorded around 35.31 per cent voter turnout till 1 pm in the polling for five Lok Sabha constituencies and 35 Assembly segments on Monday, officials said.

Voting started at 7 am in Aska, Kandhamal, Bargarh, Bolangir and Sundergarh parliamentary constituencies along with 35 assembly segments within the jurisdiction of these Lok Sabha seats.

Lok Sabha and Assembly elections are being held simultaneously in Odisha.

Police claimed that there was no report of any untoward incident in any polling booth.

However, some unidentified persons allegedly hacked an auto-rickshaw driver to death near Sarsara under Sadar police limits in Bargarh district. The deceased was carrying some voters to the polling booth. While the family members claimed it was a political murder, police say personal enmity is the reason behind the crime.

Chief Electoral Officer N B Dhal said polling was peaceful and there was no report of any untoward incident till 1 pm.

The CEO said 70 ballot units, 89 control units and 167 VVPATs have been replaced due to glitches.

Officials said of the five LS seats, the highest 38.18 per cent polling was recorded in Bargarh Parliamentary seat followed by Sundergarh (36.32 per cent), Kandhanmal (35.09 per cent), Aska (34.38 per cent) and Bolangir (32.82 per cent).

From among the 35 assembly constituencies, tribal-dominated Bonai assembly seat in Sundergharh district recorded the highest 47.20 per cent while the lowest voter turnout was 26.77 per cent at Kantabanji assembly segment in Bolangir district.

Dhal said that industrial assembly segments like Brajrajnagar and Jharsuguda also witnessed good voter turnout.

Till 1 pm around 35.31 per cent of the over 7.969 million voters have exercised their franchise, officials said.

Officials said that a woman polling official fainted in a booth under the Sundergarh Lok Sabha seat.