Voting underway for first phase of three-tier Panchayat elections in Odisha

Polling in the first phase of the five-phase Panchayat election is going on in over 22 thousand booths in 71 blocks across all the thirty districts of the state. Polling that began at 7 in



the morning will continue till 1 p.m. in the afternoon. Out of over 22 thousand polling booths, 3357 booths have been identified as sensitive for which elaborate security arrangements have been made. 

The state election commission has deployed 225 platoons of police force to ensure smooth conduct of the panchayat polls that is being held in 5 phases, the last phase being on the 24th of this month.