70 per cent polling in 3rd phase of Panchayat poll in Orissa

Bhubaneswar, Feb 17 (UNI) The third phase of elections to the three tier Panchayat in Orissa ended peacefully with about 70 per cent of 53.07 lakhs voters exercising their franchise today.

State Election Commission(SEC) office sources here said no major untoward incident was reported during the third phase of polling in the state.

The SEC has ordered repolling in as many as 22 booths as polling could not commence in these booths due to some minor violence and other disturbances.

Sources said repolling would be held in eight booths each in Jajpur and Puri, 3 in Bhadrak, 2 in Dhenkanal and one in Mayurbhanj district.

Polling was held in 19,257 booths spread over 30 districts to elect 19,257 Ward members, 1,366 Sarpanches, 1,366 Panchayat Samiti members and 195 Zilla Parishad members.

While nearly 65 per cent voter turnout was reported in the first phase of polling on February 13 last, over 73 per cent electorate cast their ballot in the second phase of elections on February 15.

The fourth phase elections would be held on February 19 to elect 153 Zilla Parishad members, 1104 Panchayat Samiti members, 1104 Sarpanches and 15,643 Ward members.

A Koraput report said no untoward incident was reported during the third phase of polling in the naxalite-dominated areas despite the poll boycott call by the naxalites.

UNI