Orissa chief electoral officer wants re-poll in 9 stations

The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Orissa, today recommended repolling in at least nine polling stations where elections were disrupted during the second phase on April 23, official sources said.

The nine polling booths were spread over seven of the 11 Lok Sabha constituencies which went to polls on April 23. While the maxium of three polling stations under Jajpur Lok Sabha seat would go for repolling, it would also be held in one polling booth each under Cuttack, Kendrapara, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Keonjhar and Balasore Lok Sabha seats.

"A recommendation letter to the Election Commission of India was sent by the CEO today," an official said.
 Elections in these booths could not be conducted because of attempted rigging, snatching of EVMs and clashes between political parties near polling stations, he said.

 

Earlier, repolling in eight polling stations were held for the first phase of elections.Though elections could not be in nearly two dozen of booths in Malkangiri and Koraput districts under Koraput and Nawarangpur parliamentary constituencies due to Maoist violence on April 16, the CEO was yet to make any recommendation, the official said.