Odisha Concludes Historic Elections with Elaborate Precautions

The Election Commission of India has put in place extensive arrangements for counting votes for 21 Lok Sabha and 147 Assembly seats in Odisha. Over 2.5 crore voters participated across 70 counting centers. Security measures include CAPF deployment to ensure smooth counting and post-result law and order.

The Election Commission of India has implemented extensive preparations for the counting of votes across 21 Lok Sabha and 147 Assembly seats in Odisha.

Counting will commence at 70 centres state-wide from 8 am on Tuesday, confirmed officials.

With over 2.5 crore voters casting their ballots in a four-phase election, the state recorded a 74.44 percent turnout, surpassing the 73.09 percent turnout of the previous 2019 election, Odisha Chief Electoral Officer Nikunja Bihari Dhal announced at a press briefing on Monday.

Remarkably, 75.55 percent of women and 73.37 percent of men participated in the election. A total of 67,000 ballot units and over 2.9 lakh postal ballots are to be tallied across the 70 centers.

Due to the ongoing heatwave, the counting halls have been equipped with air conditioning, back-up power generators, CCTVs, and fire-fighting teams. Adequate drinking water and ORS provisions have also been put in place.

Each EVM counting table will be manned by one counting supervisor, one assistant, and one micro-observer, totalling 16,406 appointed officials. Additionally, 124 special observers will oversee the entire counting process. To secure the proceedings, 60 companies from the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) and Odisha's armed police will be stationed at counting centers, with an additional 89 CAPF companies ensuring law and order post-results.