Total voter turnout in the two-phase simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Odisha was 74 per cent against 65.3 per cent polling in the 2009 general elections.
While the turnout in the second and last phase of polling on Thursday was 73.4 per cent, 75 per cent of the voters had exercised their franchise in first phase elections on April 10, 2014, Odisha Chief Electoral Officer Mona Sharma said on Friday.
“There is no report of any major violence, no casualty and no major violation of model code of conduct for elections this time,” Ms. Sharma said adding that poll boycotts have been reported from 25 polling stations.
ADVERTISEMENT
While people boycotted votes in 20 booths in the first phase, none turned up to cast their votes in five booths in the second and last phase of polling on Thursday.
Giving details about the polling in the last phase of polls, Ms. Sharma said tribal dominated Mayurbhanj recorded highest voters turn out with 82 per cent voting followed by 78 per cent in Angul district, 76 per cent in Dhenkanal district, 75.68 per cent in Nayagarh district, 75.22 per cent in Jajpur district and 75 per cent in Bhadrak district.
Similarly, Ms. Sharma said the polling percentage in Puri was 73.95 per cent, Kendrapara 72.91 per cent, Keonjhar 72 per cent, Balaosre 71.89 per cent, Cuttack 70 per cent and Khurda district recorded lowest voter turnout at only 56 per cent.
ADVERTISEMENT
The CEO also claimed that there was peaceful repolling in 22 booths including 15 in Maoist-hit Malkangiri district.
Besides fresh polling were held in Koraput, Bargarh, Jharsuguda, Ganjam, Nayagarh and Angul districts.
Replying a question, Sharma said there was stray violence involving snatching and torching of EVMs and some cases of attempted rigging. “Above all, there was absolutely no major violence in both the phases of polling on April 10 and April 17,” she said.
Ms. Sharma said the flying squads and police have seized a total of Rs. 2.61 crore cash on transit besides seizure of huge quantity of liquor during the elections.
She said about 600 complaints, mostly relating to hoardings on government buildings, advertisements on news papers and distribution of money among the voters. “We have intervened in all the cases and verified them,” she said.
The sealed EVMs have been kept amid tight security in 64 strong rooms in different parts of the State, she said adding CCTVs have been installed to keep a close vigil on the voting machines.
A three-ier security net had been erected with the first layer manned by CRPF personnel in order to ensure safety for EVMs till the counting day on May 16.