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.
Kanpur, April 13 (IANS) Senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi Sunday said there was no Modi wave
Earth Day campaigns this year to focus on waste management
Kolkata, March 18 (IANS) Earth Day on April 22 this year will be marked with innovative campaig
First Indian visit today after the Taliban government took over Afghanistan
India's delegation is going to Kabul on Thursday for the first time since the Taliban took power
Health Ministry Reviews Swine Flu Situation
New Delhi, Feb 6 (IANS) The union health ministry Friday reviewed the swine flu situation in va
The root of the fidayeen attack on Kabul airport lies in Pakistan. ISIS Khorasan i.e. ISIS-K has
Voting has started from 7 am today in the second phase of the great festival of democracy. In the
The Health Ministry has warned states about the side effects of the corona vaccine. Health Secret
OnePlus cheap phone will be pre-booking today, will compete with Redmi 9A
New Delhi: Smartphone company OnePlus is organizing a launch event called 'New Beginnings'. In th
Madhya Pradesh goes to polls Thursday
Bhopal, April 8 (IANS) As many as 118 candidates are in the fray in nine Lok Sabha constituenci
Congress targets AAP over funding, Digvijaya suspects BJP hand
New Delhi, Feb 3 (IANS) The Congress Tuesday targeted the AAP over allegations that it had acce
