Odisha Records Impressive 74.41% Voter Turnout in Final Phase

Odisha registered a 74.41% voter turnout in the final phase of polling for six Lok Sabha and 42 Assembly segments. Balasore Lok Sabha seat saw the highest turnout at 76.77%. Enhanced security measures, including 185 companies of CAPF, were deployed to ensure fair polling and post-election safety.

Odisha achieved a significant 74.41% voter turnout during the concluding round of polling for the six Lok Sabha and 42 Assembly segments, according to an Election Commission official on Monday. This figure marginally surpasses the state's overall polling percentage of 74.38% in the 2019 general elections.

Remarkably, the Balasore Lok Sabha constituency recorded the highest voter turnout at 76.77%, followed closely by Mayurbhanj with 75.79%, Jagatsinghpur at 75.48%, Jajpur with 74.47%, Bhadrak at 73.23%, and Kendrapara trailing at 71.22%, the official reported.

In terms of assembly segments, Bangirpost under the Mayurbhanj LS seat saw an impressive turnout of 77.52%, while Aul Vidhan Sabha segment registered the lowest turnout at 62.30%. Over 99.61 lakh eligible voters participated across 10,881 polling booths in this phase.

In an effort to maintain security and order, the Election Commission deployed 36,000 personnel, including 125 companies of central forces, for the final phase. Looking ahead, 70 companies of CAPF will remain in Odisha until June 6, with 25 companies specifically assigned to safeguard EVM strongrooms and counting centers, stated Chief Electoral Officer N B Dhal.

The decision to enhance security came after sporadic incidents of post-election violence were reported in various locations. The CEO's office also confirmed implementing a two-tier security system at the strongrooms, featuring an inner and outer layer of protection comprising CAPF personnel and State Armed Police Force respectively. A record deployment of 185 CAPF companies was observed throughout the state's four-phase elections to guarantee a free, fair, and impartial polling process.