Bhubaneswar, June 1 (UNI) An estimated 62.46 percent of the total 99.61 lakh voters exercised their franchise till 5 PM in the final phase of the election to six Lok Sabha and 42 Assembly seats in Odisha on Saturday.
The voting percentage will rise further as hundreds of voters are still inside the polling booths to cast their ballots.
Polling is being held in Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha Constituencies and 42 Assembly constituencies falling under the Parliamentary constituencies.
ECI sources said Jagatsinghpur Parliamentary constituency recorded 65.93 percent polling, the highest till 5PM and Bhadrak recorded the lowest voter turnout of 58.21 percent till 1700 hours.
While Balasore Parliamentary constituency recorded 61.91 percent, the voter turnout in Kendrapara Lok Sabha Constituency was 62.02 percent.
In the Assembly constituencies, the polling percentage was the highest in Jashipur (70.11 percent) and Dhamnagar has the lowest voter turnout of 53.40 percent.
As many as 26 Assembly constituencies recorded above 60 percent polling.
The other assembly constituencies which polled above 65 percent polling were Niali 69.50 percent, Mahanga (67.60 percent), Kakatpur( 67.60 percent), Nimapara (67.10 percent) Balikuda-Erasama (65.07 percent), Jagatsinghpur (65.50 percent) Barchanan and Barchana (65 percent each).
Bari, Bangiriposi, Basta ,Binjharpur, Bhograi, Chandbali, Jaleswar, Morada, Mahanga, Korei, Aul, Badasahi, Balasore and Baripada, Jajpur assembly constituencies recorded 60 or above percent polling till 5 pm while Basudevpur, Bhadrak,Bhandari Pokhari,Kendrapara and Rajnagar recorded below 60 percent voting.
The CEO said the voting percentage is likely to increase as a large number of people are standing in the queues inside the polling booths to exercise their franchise.
In the first phase of polling on May 13, 75.68 percent was recorded, in the second phase on May 20 about 73.50 percent and in the third phase on May 25, about 74.45 percent voters exercised their franchise.
The CEO said barring some disturbances outside the polling booths in some places, the polling was by and large peaceful.
The last phase of the election to six Lok Sabha seats will decide the fate of BJP National Vice President Baijayant Panda (Kendrapara), former Union Ministers Pratap Sarangi and Srikant Jena (Balasore), former MP Bibhu Prasad Tarai (Jagatsinghpur) and Odisha Revenue and Disaster management and School and Mass Education Minister Sudam Marandi ( (Mayurbhanj).
The Assembly elections will also decide the fate of Odisha BJP President Manmohan Samal (Chandbali), former Odisha Congress President Niranjan Pattnaik (Bhandaripokhari), Odisha Assembly Speaker Pramila Mallik (Binjharpur), veteran BJD leader and former Minister Prafulla Samal (Bhadrak), and Odisha Ministers Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak (Mahakalpada), Pratap Deb (Aul), P. R. Gharai (Sukinda), and Tushar Kanti Behera (Kakatpur).
