70% Voter Turnout Recorded In First Phase of Odisha Panchayat Polls
Bhubaneswar: The first phase of voting for the election to Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) has been completed in Odisha with 70 per cent polling, an official said on Wednesday.
At least 70 per cent out of 67.51 lakh voters turned up at the booths in this phase. However, the polling percentage may go up as the final report is yet to come, said State Election Commissioner A.P. Padhi.
The voting was carried out at 22,379 wards and 1,669 panchayats across the state.
With completion of the first phase polls, the fates of 726 Zilla Parishad (ZP) candidates have been sealed in the poling boxes.
The three-tier panchayat elections in Odisha is being held in five phases — February 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24. Over 2.79 crore voters will exercise their franchise in 6,794 panchayats and 91,913 wards.
The election will be held for the positions of ward member, sarpanch, panchayat samiti member and ZP member.