Second phase polling begins in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: Polling for five Lok Sabha and 35 Assembly seats in the second phase began in 9117 booths in Odisha on Thursday.

A total of 76,93,123 voters of which 39,45,025 are male, 37,47,493 female and 605  transgenders, are eligible to exercise their franchise.

A total of 35 candidates are in the fray for the five Lok Sabha seats including 30 male and five female candidates. 244 candidates are contesting for the 35 Assembly seats. They are 219 male and 25 female candidates.

Elections are being held for Bargarh, Sundargarh, Bolangir, Kandhamal and Aska Lok Sabha seats and 35 Assembly seats under them.

Several political heavyweights including Union Tribal Affairs Minister Jual Oram, Prasanna Acharya and Achyuta Samanta, Kalikesh Narayan Singhdeo, Suresh Pujari and Sangeeta Singhdeo are contesting the Lok Sabha polls in the second phase.

BJD President and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is fighting from two seats — Hinjili and Bijepur.

Opposition leader Narasingha Mishra is contesting from Bolangir Assembly segment while BJP legislature party leader K.V. Singhdeo is contesting from Patnagarh Assembly seat.