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.
Fake PMO Website Busted, Mastermind Arrested
New Delhi, Jan 18 (IANS) Delhi Police has busted a fake website of the Prime Minister's Office
Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated key infrastructure projects worth over ₹5,100 crore in
India said on the Ocus agreement that France and China are irritated by
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is leaving for a three-day visit to the US on Wednesday where he wil
Sophie B. Hawkins pregnant at 50
Los Angeles, Feb 7 (IANS) At 50, singer-songwriter Sophie B. Hawkins is pregnant with her second
Ranveer Singh's film 'Dhurandhar' is currently doing wonders at the box office. Even after severa
Stop diversionary tactics on land bill: Congress to Government
New Delhi, March 19 (IANS) The Congress asked the government on Thursday to stop "diversionary
US Commission wanted to put India on the Red List on Human Rights, Jaishankar had told a lot
Giving knowledge on human rights to India from the US has backfired and it has been asked by Exte
The UN peacekeeping chief on Monday welcomed the deployment of the largest contingent of women pe
A Chinese doctor was murdered after entering his clinic in Karachi, Pakistan on Wednesday evening
In the 1985 assembly elections of Gujarat, Congress had created such a history, which to date no
