Two die in Odisha as state votes in the last phase of polling

Officials said intense heat and high humidity were proving to be a problem in coastal districts as many voters complained of uneasiness while standing in the queue for voting

Updated on: Jun 1, 2024, 15:53:07 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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Bhubaneshwar: A polling official and an elderly voter died as voting began for the final phase of 42 Assembly seats and six Lok Sabha seats in Odisha as 22.64% of the 9.96 million (99.6 lakh) voters exercised their franchise till 11am, officials aware of the matter said on Saturday.

According to the data from the election commission, 37.64% voter turnout was recorded till 1pm.

According to officials, booth-level officer Manoranjan Sahu passed away in Fatehpur in the Binjharpur Assembly constituency minutes after he felt pain in his chest. He was declared dead on arrival at the hospital.

Also Read: Lok Sabha elections phase 7: 57 seats vote in last leg of mega 2024 battle | 10 points

Similarly, an elderly voter identified as Surendra Mohanty passed away in booth no 159 of Ishwarpur gram panchayat of Nilagiri Assembly constituency in Balasore district, said officials.

Officials said intense heat and high humidity were proving to be a problem in coastal districts as many voters complained of uneasiness while standing in the queue for voting.

As many as 41 people, including 12 in the steel city of Rourkela, died of suspected heatstroke in the last 24 hours as an unprecedented heatwave swept the state on Thursday. More than 60 people have been hospitalised since Thursday in several parts of western Odisha due to heat stress.

Of the 9.61 million voters, the highest in any phase, around 5.88 million (50.88 lakh) are men, 4.87 (48.72 lakh) are women and 687 third-gender electors. The electors are casting their votes across 10,882 booths to decide the fate of 460 candidates contesting in the fourth and final round of simultaneous elections in the state.

Voting began at 7am on Saturday in Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, and Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha seats, along with the 42 assembly segments that constitute these parliamentary constituencies.

Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) former leader and former Union minister Pratap Sarangi, national vice-president Baijayant Panda, Ruling Biju Janata Dal’s (BJD) Sudam Marndi, Lekhashri Samantsinghar, Congress’ Srikant Jena and Jharkhand Mukti Morcha’s (JMM) Anjani Soren some of the prominent candidates are in fary among the 66 Lok Sabha candidates.

In the Assembly polls, BJD’s ministers Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak and Preetiranjan Ghadei, BJP state president Manmohan Samal and Congress’ former state president Niranjan Patnaik are some of the top contestants in the fray among the 394 candidates in the Assembly elections.

Around 70,000 polling personnel are engaged for the smooth conduct of the elections in 10,882 booths. To maintain law and order, around 126 companies of the Central Armed Police Force have been deployed.

Also Read: 85 die of heat stress as mercury soars

Meanwhile, pre-poll violence and incidences of cash distribution continued to rock Odisha. A clash erupted between the BJD and the BJP workers over cash distribution at Bhutamundai village in Paradip assembly constituency, officials said.

A complaint against incumbent BJD MLA from Paradip, Sambit Routray, was logged by the BJP, alleging he was threatening to assault its party workers. In the Remuna Assembly constituency, the flying squad of the election commission of India on Friday night seized cash of Rs.1.18 lakh allegedly from several women Self Help Group (SHG) members who were distributing money in the Mission Shakti building on the premises of Remuna block in Balasore district.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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