30% polling by noon for Talsara assembly seat

Rourkela, Oct 30 (UNI) Nearly 30 per cent of 1.47 lakh voters cast their ballots for the by-election to the Talsara (ST) assembly constituency in Orissa by noon today.

Official sources said no untoward incident had so far been reported and polling was on peacefully in all the 166 booths. The authorities had deployed adequate police for smooth conduct of the election.

The by-poll was necessitated following the death of Congress MLA Gajadhar Majhi.

Although ten candidates are in the fray, the battle for ballot would mainly be confined between BJP's Sahadev Khakha and Congress's Dr Prafulla Majhi.

Of the 166 booths, 32 had been described as 'sensitive', nine 'hyper sensitive' and 91 'non sensitive'.

The authorities had pressed 19 mobile parties, nine 'quick action' teams and 66 emergency officers besides, reserve team in the constituency. In addition three Zonal Supervision teams, headed by three IPS officers, had been constituted to monitor the polling.

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