40 candidates join fray for 5 LS seats in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Tight security arrangements have been made, with the deployment of over 33,000 personnel, for elections to five Lok Sabha and 35 Assembly constituencies in Odisha on Monday, officials said.

Over 70.69 lakh voters, including 40.33 lakh men, 39.35 lakh women and 851 transgender persons, are eligible to cast their votes at 9,162 polling stations in Aska, Kandhamal, Bargarh, Bolangir and Sundargarh Lok Sabha constituencies, and 35 Assembly seats falling under these parliamentary constituencies, in the second phase of polls in the State.

A total of 40 candidates are in the fray for the five Lok Sabha seats, while 265 nominees, including Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, will try their luck in the 35 Assembly segments. Naveen is contesting from two Assembly segments -- Hinjili under Aska Lok Sabha seat in Ganjam district and Kantabanji under Bolangir parliamentary constituency – around 400 km apart.

Apart from Naveen, major contestants whose electoral fate would be decided on Monday include around half-a-dozen Odisha ministers, BJP’s sitting MPs Jual Oram and Sangeeta Singh Deo, BJD MP Achyuta Samanta and former Indian Hockey captain Dilip Tirkey.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, chief ministers of Assam, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, and film actor Hema Malini have campaigned for BJP candidates, while Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and party leader Rahul Gandhi have canvassed for their party nominees.

BJD president Naveen Patnaik and his close aide V K Pandian have extensively campaigned across the five Lok Sabha and 35 Assembly seats.

In Aska, tight security arrangements have been ensured following the death of a BJP worker in a clash with BJD supporters.

State Chief Electoral Officer Nikunja Bihari Dhal said 22 companies of Central forces have been deployed in Aska. ‘’We are committed to conducting free and fair elections in the State,’’ Dhal said. Polling personnel, along with EVMs and other materials, have already reached their destinations, he said. Voting will commence at 7 am and continue till 6 pm, but the time duration would be shorter in Maoist-hit areas, Dhal said.

Of the 9,162 polling stations, 1,541 will be model polling stations, while 1,041 will be managed by all-woman personnel and 25 will be run by PwD officials. Nearly 20 per cent of the 9,162 polling stations have been identified as critical, including those in Maoist-hit areas, he said.

For any security-related emergency, one Indian Air Force helicopter will be kept on standby, Dhal said.

In 2019, Bargarh Lok Sabha seat had recorded 77.87 per cent turnout, followed by Sundargarh (71.67), Bolangir (74.75), Kandhamal (72.90) and Aska (65.53), he said.