Bhubaneswar: Around 21.30 per cent voter turnout recorded till 11 AM in six Lok Sabha and 42 assembly constituencies where voting is underway from 7 AM this morning, EC officials said.
Amid tight security, voting started at 7 AM in Sambalpur, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar and Puri Parliamentary constituencies along with 42 assembly segments within the jurisdiction of these Lok Sabha seats.
Till 11 AM, around 21.30 per cent of the over 94.48 lakh electorate exercised their franchise. Highest 22.41 percent pilling reported in Dhenkanal Lok Sabha segment, followed by Sambalpur (21.89%), Puri (21.51%), Keonjhar (20.89%), Bhubaneswar (20.72%), and Cuttack (20.47%).
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Nikunja Bihari Dhal said voting has been peaceful so far in the 10,581 polling stations, barring some reports of EVM glitches. Due to technical glitches, 116 ballot units, 125 control units and 256 VVPATs have been replaced and voting has been resumed in all such booths, he said.
Around 35,000 security personnel including 121 companies of central armed police force (CAPF) and 106 platoons of Odisha armed police and 19,865 civil police personnel have been deployed for the third phase elections, said DGP Arun Sarangi.
To ensure smooth conduct of elections, five young IPS officers of ASP rank have been mobilized for Sambalpur, Khurda, Keonjhar and Cuttack districts while 42 Assembly Supervising Officers in the rank of additional SP with striking force, he said.
Sarangi said 84 DSP will supervise the law and order (two for each assembly segment) with striking force while 231 sector officers in the rank of inspector with striking force will also be deployed on poll duty.
Besides, 763 mobile parties, 331 flying squad teams and 343 static surveillance teams have been deployed for the twin elections to Lok Sabha and Odisha Assembly, he said.
The DGP informed that 17 inter-state border check posts with CCTV surveillance and 116 intra-state border check posts have been set up to check illegal flow of cash, arms, liquor and other substances.