High Voter Turnout Amid Heatwave in Odisha’s Final Election Phase.

BHUBANESWAR: The Election Commission reported a turnout of around 70.67 percent by 11:30 PM.District-wise, Mayurbhanj led with 73.81 percent turnout, followed by Jagatsinghpur (73.06 percent), Balasore (70.41 percent), Bhadrak (70.34 percent), and Kendrapara (68.64 percent). Jajpur saw a turnout of 67.91 percent. Among Assembly constituencies, Bangiriposi recorded the highest turnout at 77.52 percent, while Aul had the lowest at 62.38 percent.The voting pace was gradual, starting at 7.79 percent by 9 AM and rising to 22.64 percent at 11 AM. By 1 PM, it reached 37.64 percent, 49.77 percent by 3 PM, and finally 62.46 percent by 5 PM. Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Nikunja Bihari Dhal predicted the final turnout could reach at least 75 percent, matching previous phases.Dhal also anticipated that the overall voter turnout across all four phases might hit the 75 percent mark, aligning with the internal target for the 2024 general elections. The turnout in the 2019 elections was approximately 73 percent.However, the polling process faced challenges, including reported voter inconvenience due to inadequate arrangements, isolated incidents of violence, and EVM malfunctions. In Nilagiri, Balasore, a 67-year-old man from Ishwarpur village died while waiting to vote. Additionally, a booth-level officer named Manoranjan Sahu died from a suspected heart attack in Jajpur district.Tragic incidents marred the otherwise peaceful polling. In Bhadrak, a woman was killed by her husband near a polling booth in Mutkadihi village. Two BJP workers were injured in Salipur after an alleged attack by BJD supporters. BJP candidate Arindam Roy claimed the altercation arose from objections to alleged booth capturing, which the Cuttack district election officer later denied.Despite sporadic violence in Dhamnagar, Patkura, Jajpur, and other areas, and instances of poll boycott due to lack of amenities, CEO Dhal asserted that the elections were largely peaceful. He commended the prompt response to incidents of political skirmishes.As the election cycle concludes, a definitive turnout figure for the last phase is anticipated by Sunday. The vote count for Odisha’s four-phase general elections is scheduled for June 4.