Bhubaneswar, April 10 (IANS) Polling began on a peaceful note for 10 Lok Sabha and 70 assembly seats in Odisha, an official said.
People stood in queues outside polling centres before polling started at 7 am.
"Everywhere balloting has started. We talked to all the district collectors and police officials and from nowhere have we got any complaints so far. It has started on a peaceful note," state's Chief Electoral Officer Mona Sharma told IANS.
Over 13 million electors will cast their ballots in the first phase of polling.
There are a total of 28,880,850 voters in the state. Polling for the remaining 11 Lok Sabha seats and 77 assembly seats would be held in the second phase April 17.
Security was tight, and paramilitary personnel and police have been deployed in vulnerable areas to ensure trouble-free polling.
Defying boycott call given by Maoists, people came to exercise their franchise in the southern districts of Koraput, Malkangiri, Rayagada, Kalahandi and Kandhamal.
Prominent candidates in the first phase are Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, and two former chief ministers and senior Congress leaders, Giridhar Gomang and Hemananda Biswal.
State Revenue Minister Surya Narayan Patro, former union minister and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Jual Oram, state BJP president K.V. Singh Deo, and Congress leader Narasingh Mishra are also in the fray.
Odisha saw intense campaigning by political heavyweights, including Congress president Sonia Gandhi, vice president Rahul Gandhi, BJP chief Rajnath Singh and prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.
Arrested Pak terrorist revealed - India Gate, Red Fort, 2011 Delhi High Court blasts including 10 places were reckoned
The Pakistani terrorist Mohammad Ashraf, who was caught by the Special Cell of Delhi Police on Tuesday, has made many big revelations in the interrogation. Sources said that Pakistani terrorist
India coronavirus lockdown Delivery issues add to woes for homebound
कई ई-कॉमर्स फर्मों को बुधवार को देश भर के प्रमुख शहरों में अपने ग्राहकों को
Chandrayaan 3: America agreed, and had asked for the technology of Chandrayaan-3 from ISRO, ISRO chief said – now times have changed
America's team of rocket scientists had requested India to share the technology and equipment of Chandrayaan 3. ISRO chief S Somnath made this disclosure on Sunday. He said that today the world is
Helpline opens Sunday to beat Board Exam Blues
New Delhi, Feb 1 (IANS) An NGO entered its 17th year of providing counselling to students ahead of the CBSE examinations beginning March 2 this year by starting its helpline Sunday.The Pre-exam
Enough Kumbh: PM Modi told Swami Awadheshanand Giri - two royal baths have been done, now Kumbh should be kept symbolic
The Kumbh Mela of Haridwar can now be finished. Because of the increasing cases of Corona, Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself has appealed to the saints and saints that the Kumbh be kept symbolic.
Probe BJP's cyber propaganda, Congress tells police
Mumbai, April 18 (IANS) The Congress's Maharashtra unit Friday lodged a police complaint objecting to what it alleged BJP's attempts "to poison minds using cyberspace", a party leader said.The
IMF praised India's direct cash transfer scheme, saying - this scheme is nothing short of a miracle
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) on Wednesday praised India's direct cash transfer scheme. Along with this, it was called a 'Logistical Marvel'. Also said that it is a big deal to successfully
UGC: From the upcoming session, the study of cyber security in UG and PG is mandatory, draft shared with states and universities
In the academic session 2022-23, students of undergraduate and postgraduate programs in universities and higher education institutions will also study cyber security. The undergraduate program will
Corona's entry in IPL Phase-2 also: Hyderabad fast bowler T Natarajan Corona positive; 6 members of the team including Vijay Shankar were sent to isolation
The corona epidemic has started looming over Phase-2 of the Indian Premier League (IPL-2021). 4 hours 30 minutes before the match against Delhi Capitals, news has come that Hyderabad fast bowler T.
Corona In India : The daily number of corona cases in the country has crossed 11 thousand; Active patients are also more than 49 thousand
Corona cases are continuously increasing in the country. In the last 24 hours, more than 11 thousand new cases of corona infection have been reported. With this, the figure of such corona infected who