The Aryavarth Express
Agency (Bhubaneswar) – Odisha’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Nikunja Bihari Dhal suspended three polling officials and instructed the police to arrest two of them on Monday for “serious dereliction of duty.”
Addressing the press, Dhal stated, “We have directed the Ganjam collector to suspend three presiding officers from three polling booths and arrest two for serious dereliction of duty.” The presiding officer of polling booth number 193 in Gopalpur assembly constituency has been suspended, along with the presiding officers of booth numbers 27 and 163 in the Chatrapur assembly segment in Ganjam district. Police have been instructed to arrest the latter two officials.
Earlier, the CEO suspended a polling official in the Narla assembly constituency in Kalahandi district and another in the Chikiti assembly seat in Ganjam district. This brings the total to five polling officials suspended for serious misconduct during the elections.
Dhal and his team have been closely monitoring the election process via direct webcasting from the polling booths. Voting commenced at 7 am across 7,303 polling stations in the Berhampur, Koraput, Nabarangpur, and Kalahandi Lok Sabha constituencies, along with 28 assembly segments within these parliamentary seats.
As of 3 pm, 52.91% of voters had cast their ballots. The highest voter turnout was recorded in the tribal-dominated Kalahandi Lok Sabha seat at 58%, followed by Nabarangpur with 55.69%, Koraput with 53.08%, and Berhampur with 44.65%, Dhal reported.