Bhubaneswar: The second phase of the three-tier panchayat elections has begun in Odisha today with strict COVID protocols. The voting began at 7 am and will continue till 1 pm.
Reportedly, the Panchayat elections will be held at 20,436 booths of 1514 gram panchayats among which 3,065 are sensitive booths in 186 Zilla Parishad zones of 68 blocks in 30 districts.
As many as 62,10,000 people will cast their votes today. In the second phase, the highest voting is being carried out in the Ganjam district with 17 Zilla Parishad seats followed by Mayurbhanj with 12 and Cuttack with 10. Besides, the people of Bhandaripokhari, Boudh, Badamba, Dhenkanal, Jeypore, Koraput, Baripada, Nimapada, Chandbali will cast their votes today.
However, the main focus is upon the election in Malkangiri. The voting is underway in the Korukonda and Khairaput blocks of the district. The security measures have been beefed up amid fears of the Maoists.
Similarly, the people of Koraput, Patangi, and Jeypore blocks and over 5000 voters will cast their votes in 13 polling booths in Kotia today. As many as 24 candidates are fighting seven Zilla Parishad seats. Adding to it, five booths in 13 wards of Kotia have been identified as sensitive booths.
The second round of voting is being held in the Barang Nishchintkoili and Badamba blocks of the Cuttack district. A total of 3,56,690 voters will decide the fate of a total of 2666 candidates in this phase.
Elections are being held in five Zilla Parishads in Nishchintakoili block, two Zilla Parishads in Barang block, and three Zilla Parishads in Badamba block.
As many as 240 platoon police forces including 37,245 cops have been deployed at various booths in view of any unexpected violence during the second phase of panchayat polls.
Ms Kalinga