Orissa voter turnout pegged at 65.9 percent
April 17th, 2009 - 9:23 pm ICT by IANSBhubaneswar, April 17 (IANS) At least 65.9 percent voting was recorded in the first phase of Lok Sabha and assembly elections in Orissa Thursday, an official statement said Friday after compiling data from all polling centres.
The voter turnout was the highest in the district of Angul at 72.8 percent, and the lowest was recorded in Malkangiri district - considered a Maoist stronghold, the office of the chief electoral officer said in its release.
The election was held Thursday for 10 Lok Sabha seats, with 72 candidates in the fray, and 70 assembly constituencies, with 599 contestants.
The districts of Bargarh, Bolangir, Boudh, Deogarh, Gajapati, Ganjam, Jharsuguda, Kalahandi and Koraput, recorded respectively 70.0, 68.9, 73.2, 71.1, 65.8, 55.7, 68.5, 69.4 and 63.1 per cent polling.
Kandhamal district, where 38 people were killed last year in communal violence, has recorded 65.7 percent voter turnout, said the release.
Besides, the districts of Nabrangpur, Nayagarh, Nuapada, Rayagada, Sambalpur, Sonepur and Sundergarh recorded a voting of 71.2, 64.4, 68.0, 64.5, 64.8, 71.9, 61.3 per cent, the release said.
Prominent candidates in the first phase included Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik from the Hinjili assembly constituency and central minister and Congress leader Chandrasekhar Sahu from the Berhampur Lok Sabha constituency.
Former chief minister Giridhar Gomang contested from Koraput and former central minister Jual Oram from the Sundergarh Lok Sabha constituency.
The second phase of polling will be held in the state April 23.
- Over 52 percent voting in Orissa amid Maoist attack (Second Lead) - Apr 16, 2009
- Campaigning ends for first phase of Orissa polls - Apr 14, 2009
- Voting begins in Orissa amidst tight security - Apr 16, 2009
- UP voter turnout 60 percent, may rise: Poll panel (Lead) - Feb 08, 2012
- All-time high voting in UP, women set new record (Lead) - Mar 03, 2012
- Polling peaceful in West Bengal first phase (Intro Roundup) - Apr 18, 2011
- Brisk start to sixth phase of UP polls - Feb 28, 2012
- Voting slow in Orissa, Maoists attack polling stations (Lead) - Apr 16, 2009
- Over 85 percent turnout in Bengal's peaceful phase two polling (Intro Roundup) - Apr 23, 2011
- Brisk polling in round six of UP polls (Lead) - Feb 28, 2012
- Steady, brisk polling in round 6 of UP polls (Second Lead) - Feb 28, 2012
- Two voters die, 64 percent turnout till 3 p.m. in Bengal (Fourth Lead) - Apr 27, 2011
- Record 84.11 percent turnout in Bengal polls - Apr 19, 2011
- Polling brisk and peaceful in Bengal (Fourth Lead) - Apr 23, 2011
- UP polls: 60 percent turnout in incident-free 6th round (Intro Roundup) - Feb 28, 2012
Tags: angul, assembly constituencies, assembly elections, berhampur, chandrasekhar, chief electoral officer, chief minister, communal violence, congress leader, lok sabha seats, maoist, oram, orissa, sabha constituency, sahu, sambalpur, second phase, stronghold, voter turnout
