Bhubaneswar, Oct 21 (IANS) By-election to Bijepur Assembly constituency in Odisha’s Bargarh district recorded a voter turnout of 72 per cent on Monday.
The Chief Electoral Office (CEO) sources said polling in Bijepur recorded 72 per cent by 5 p.m.
The CEO sources also said that this is a tentative figure and it may increase when the final figure comes out.
“Voting was held peacefully and no violence has been reported at any booth. After polling began, glitches were detected in only one VVPAT machine,” said Chief Electoral Officer Sushil Kumar Lohani.
The fate of five candidates have been locked in the EVMs. The counting of votes will be held on October 24.
While ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has fielded Rita Sahu, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has nominated Sanat Gartia and the Congress has fielded Dillip Kumar Panda in the Assembly segment.
The by-election was necessitated after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who had won two segments in the 2019 Assembly polls, vacated Bijepur and retained Hinjili in Ganjam district.
–IANS
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