69 per cent polling in 4th phase Panchayat poll in Orissa

Bhubaneswar, Feb 19 (UNI) Nearly 69 per cent of 41.78 lakh voters today cast their ballots in the fourth phase election to the three-tier bodies in Orissa.

State Election Commission(SEC) office sources said the election passed off peacefully with no major untoward incident reported from any part of the state.

Due to stray incidents of minor violence and booth rigging, the SEC had ordered repolling in 19 booths. The fourth phase election would elect 153 Zilla Parishad members, 1098 Panchayat Samittee members, 1098 sarpanches and 15,743 Ward members spread over 30 districts.

Over 70 per cent of 53.07 lakh voters exercised their franchise on February 17 during the third phase poll and the SEC had to order for repolling in 22 booths due to disturbances.

The third phase 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.

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

UNI