Bhubaneswar, May 13 (UNI) An estimated 62.97 percent of the total 62,87,222 voters exercised their franchise in 7303 polling stations spread over eight districts for four Lok Sabha and 28 Assembly seats in Odisha till 1700 hours, state Chief Electoral Officer Nikunja Bihar Dhal said.
Polling is being held in four Parliamentary Constituencies -Berhampur, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi, and Koraput and 28 Assembly Constituencies under these four Parliamentary Constituencies in the first phase of general elections in Odisha.
ECI sources said the highest polling percentage of 67.07 percent was recorded in the Kalahandi Parliamentary constituency, followed by 65.07 percent in Nabarangpur and 61.43 percent in Koraput parliamentary constituency. The lowest polling percentage of 58 percent was recorded in the Berhampur Parliamentary constituency.
The sources also said Junagarh, Narla, Dharmagarh and Dabugam Assembly constituencies recorded above 70 percent voting till 1700 hours.

While Dabugam recorded the highest poll percentage of 71.30 percent , Berhampur Assembly constituency recorded the lowest voting turnout of 47.90 percent.

In Kalahandi Lok Sabha constituency, three assembly segments- Narla, Dharamgarh and Junagarh recorded more than 70 percent polling, the other four Assembly segments also recorded more than 60 percent polling.

Similarly,in Koraput Lok Sabha seat, Bisam Cuttack assembly constituency recorded 67.99 percent followed by Jeypore (66.58 percent) and Rayagada( 63.20 percent).
The CEO has ordered the suspension and arrest of Presiding Officers of 27 and 163 polling stations in Chhatrapur Assembly seat for serious dereliction of duty and suspension of another Presiding officer of booth No 193 in Gopalpur.
Earlier, Dhal had ordered the suspension of the Presiding officer of Polling Station no 74 under the Chikiti Assembly Constituency and the Presiding officer of Narla Assembly Constituency.
Sources said incidents of minor violence were reported from several booths of the Chikiti Assembly area both in the morning and in the evening.

Some people were admitted to hospitals after sustaining injuries in the violence. Sources said problem arose as some people tried to rig the voting and some people opposed it.

BJP Jharigam MLA candidate Narsing Bhatra was allegedly attacked by some BJD supporters near booth number 204 in Deolkana village when he opposed the rigging in the polling booth.

Reports reaching here said at some places the villagers boycotted the polling for non-fulfillment of their long standing demands and local issues.

The polling will seal the fate of 37 Lok Sabha candidates and 243 Assembly candidates. Prominent among them are Odisha Pradesh Congress President Sarat Pattnayak, Former Railway Minister Bhakta Charan Das, Odisha Planning and Convergence minister Rajendra Dholkia, two former BJD Ministers Dibya Shankar Mishra and Pushpendra Singdeo and actor turned politician Sidhant Mohapatra.

Eds: Here pls pick up suitably from earlier series.
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