Chief Electoral Officer SK Lohani said over 69 per cent polling was recorded in the by-polls in Odisha’s Jharsuguda district’s Brajrajnagar assembly constituency, where voting on Tuesday was largely “event-free”. The polling, being conducted through EVMs, began at 7 am and was to end at 6 pm.
Lohani said the final voting percentage would be disclosed later. “Voting continued after 6 pm at some places as many people were waiting in queues for their turn. We can give the final polling percentage only after the officials return from the booths,” said Lohani, adding that the thunderstorm affected polling between 3-4 pm.
Lohani also said that the elections were conducted amid strict adherence to the COVID-19 norms. “Due to technical glitches, three Ballot Units, three Control Units and 4 VVPATs had to be replaced in some parts of the constituency. With the help of web-casting facilities, the voting process was monitored live in 50 per cent of the 279 booths.
Over two lakh people were eligible to exercise their franchise for the by-elections held after the death of BJD MLA Kishore Mohanty in December last year. At least 1,000 state police personnel and three companies of the central paramilitary force have been deployed to conduct free and fair elections, officials said.
He said a total of 60 polling stations were identified as ‘vulnerable’ where additional security arrangements were to be made. Though eleven candidates were in the fray, the constituency saw a triangular contest mainly between candidates of BJD, BJP and Congress.
The BJD has fielded the deceased MLA’s wife Alka Mohanty, while the BJP has fielded former MLA Radharani Panda. Former assembly speaker Kishor Patel had contested the by-election on a Congress ticket.
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