India General Elections 2024: With 5 LS seats and 35 assembly seats, Odisha has a 69.34 per cent voter turnout

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Polling on Monday saw 69.34 per cent of voters cast ballots in 35 assembly seats and five Lok Sabha seats in Odisha, according to officials. In addition to 35 assembly segments covering these parliamentary seats, the second round of simultaneous elections was conducted in the Lok Sabha constituencies of Aska, Bolangir, Kandhamal, Sundargarh, and Bargarh.

According to officials on Tuesday, the Bargarh Lok Sabha constituency had the highest voter participation, at 76.20 per cent. Bolangir came in second with 71.46 per cent, Kandhamal with 70.37 per cent, Sundargarh with 67.74 per cent, and Aska with 60.78 per cent.

Per a PTI report, Bhatli in the Bargarh district had the highest polling percentage (79.23%) among assembly seats, while Hinjili in Ganjam had the lowest (58.21%). After postal votes are included, the voting percentage may increase somewhat. The postal votes will be opened at the counting centre on June 4, according to the officials. Odisha Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) N B Dhal stated that voting took place peacefully in all 35 assembly segments and all five Lok Sabha seats in the state, except for a few isolated incidents. In the second round of simultaneous elections, 265 candidates, including Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, are vying for seats in 35 assembly divisions, while 40 people are running in the five Lok Sabha constituencies, according to the PTI report.

In addition to Patnaik, six Odisha ministers, two current BJP MPs, Sangeeta Singh Deo and Jual Oram, BJD MP Achyut Samanta, former Union Minister Dilip Ray, and other notable contenders had their destiny sealed in the EVM.

Odisha has 21 Lok Sabha constituencies and 147 assembly seats. Of them, polling has so far been completed for nine parliamentary seats and 63 assembly segments.

(With Inputs from PTI)