Polling is currently underway for 42 seats in Odisha in the 4th and final phase of the Assembly polls, with stringent security measures in place. This phase marks the culmination of simultaneous voting for both the Lok Sabha and Assembly seats across multiple dates, including May 13, 20, 25, and June 1.
In addition to the Assembly elections, voting is also ongoing for the Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, and Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha seats today. Approximately 1 crore voters are eligible to cast their votes across 10,882 booths in this phase.
A significant deployment of security personnel, with a total of 36,000 security personnel and 72,000 polling officials, has been mobilized to ensure law and order during the voting process.
Sixty-six candidates are contesting for the six Lok Sabha seats, while 394 contestants are vying for the 42 Assembly segments.
Special arrangements have been made at polling stations to address the needs of voters amid the intense heat, as highlighted by the state’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) NB Dhal.
DGP Arun Kumar Sarangi confirmed the deployment of 36,000 security personnel, including 125 companies of central forces, across the six Lok Sabha constituencies. Approximately 2,280 polling booths have been identified as critical, necessitating the presence of central forces to ensure fair and transparent elections.
Notable candidates in this phase include Odisha Assembly Speaker Pramila Mallik, Government Chief Whip Prashant Kumar Mudili, and four sitting MPs – Pratap Sarangi (Balasore), Manjula Mandal (Bhadrak), Sarmistha Sethi (Jajpur), and Rajashree Mallick (Jagatsinghpur).
Leading political figures, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Ministers Amit Shah and Rajnath Singh, and BJP president JP Nadda, have conducted extensive campaign activities. Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and his aide VK Pandian campaigned for Biju Janata Dal candidates, while Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge addressed rallies in Balasore and Bhadrak.
Exit polls for the Odisha Assembly elections are scheduled to be released on Saturday after voting concludes at 6 pm. Results for both the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in the state are anticipated on June 4.
