Padampur: In Odisha, the Padampur Assembly segment has witnessed a record turnout of voters today. The by-poll recorded more than 80 per cent voting by 6 pm today. The segment has more than 2.5 lakh voters, more than 80 per cent of whom have cast their votes to select their representative out of the 10 candidates in the fray. The seat has witnessed high-voltage electioneering with party heavyweights of BJD, BJP, and Congress throwing their weight behind their party candidates.
The voting, which began at 7 am, continued beyond the scheduled close at 4 pm as several people were in queue in 89 of the 319 polling stations, poll officials said.
“There was no report of any untoward incident in the entire Padampur assembly constituency during the voting process,” Odisha’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) S K Lohani said.
A total of 2.57 lakh voters, including 12 members of the transgender community, are eligible to exercise their franchise in the by-poll.
Around 1,400 police personnel and nine companies of central paramilitary forces have been deployed for the by-election, the official said.
There are 10 candidates in the fray for the by-poll. Counting of votes will be held on December 8.
The ruling BJD fielded Barsha Singh Bariha, the daughter of Bijay Ranjan Singh Bariha whose death necessitated the by-election, while the opposition BJP’s nominee is the former MLA and party’s Krushak Morcha president Pradip Purohit.
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