Odisha Elections 2024 LIVE Updates: 7.69% voter turnout recorded till 9am

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday appealed to people to cast their franchise in “unprecedented numbers” to elect a strong government again to ensure the internal security of the country and to maintain the pace of development.

Shah’s appeal comes through his ‘X’ handle as polling commenced for the seventh and final phase of Lok Sabha elections at 7 am on Saturday in 57 constituencies across seven states and one Union Territory (UT).

“I appeal to all voters to vote in unprecedented numbers in the final phase of the Lok Sabha elections. It is essential to elect a strong government again to ensure the internal security of the country and to maintain the pace of development. Create a government that has not only made the country self-reliant but has also instilled confidence in every citizen. Let us vote with full enthusiasm for a developed India and inspire others to do the same,” Shah posted on ‘X’.

Elderly man in Balasore district dies while standing in queue to cast his vote. Though he was rushed to hospital, doctors declared him dead on arrival.

Assembly Speaker Pramila Mallik, the government’s chief whip Prashant Muduli, Odisha BJP chief Manmohan Samal and BJP national vice-president Baijayant Panda are among the candidates in the fray.

7.69% voter turnout recorded till 9am

Over 99.61 lakh voters will decide the fate of 460 candidates in six Lok Sabha seats and 42 assembly segments in the coastal region of Odisha on Saturday amid prevailing hot and humid weather conditions, officials said.

A straight fight is expected between the ruling BJD and the opposition BJP in the coastal region, where voting will be held from 7 am to 6 pm in Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha seats.

A total of 66 candidates are in the fray in the Lok Sabha seats and while 394 candidates will contest the assembly segments in the fourth phase of simultaneous polls in the eastern state.

Odisha Congress on Friday expelled its Publicity Committee Chairman Sanjay Tripathi from the party for six years over “indiscipline and anti-party activities.”

The action comes a day before the last phase of voting of the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

“AICC has approved the expulsion of Sanjay Tripathi with immediate effect from Indian National Congress for six years due to indiscipline and anti-party,” Odisha Congress President Sarat Pattanayak said in a release on Friday.

Earlier Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Thursday exuded confidence that the Bharatiya Janata Party will win all 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha and also form the government in the state

Rahul Gandhi, implying that the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) is in cahoots with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on Thursday claimed that the Congress will uproot the BJD-BJP partnership in Odisha as it did in Telangana, “where the Bharat Rashtra Samithi was working for the BJP”. Read more

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday urged people to vote in large numbers as polling for the last phase of Lok Sabha elections and Odisha assembly elections began.

“Together, let’s make our democracy more vibrant and participative,” the prime minister said on X.

Polling is being held in 57 seats, including in all constituencies of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh besides a few in Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand.

Several prominent leaders’ fates will be decided in this phase, including Odisha assembly Speaker Pramila Mallik, government chief whip Prashant Muduli, BJP Odisha unit president Manmohan Samal, BJP national vice-president Baijayant Panda, six Odisha ministers, and four sitting MPs.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has written to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Odisha, seeking immediate investigation and action on reported suspicious activity involving bribery and misuse of the State Government’s Mission Shakti premises at Remuna block in Odisha’s Balasore district.

“On 31-05-24, a report of suspicious activity was brought to light involving the office of Mission Shakti. The MLA candidate of the BJP promptly arrived at the scene and informed the flying squad of the same. Upon their arrival, three SHG women who were present in the Mission Shakti office fled the premises. During the subsequent investigation, the flying squad recovered a bag containing lakhs of rupees intended to unduly influence voters,” the Odisha unit of the BJP said in the complaint to the CEO.

The Odisha BJP asked the CEO to conduct an immediate and comprehensive investigation to identify the government officials involved in this incident and determine their level of participation in aiding the political party.

Polling commenced for six Lok Sabha constituencies and 42 assembly seats in Odisha on Saturday morning, amid tight security, a poll official said.

Voting began at 7 am in Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, and Jagatsinghpur Lok Sabha seats, along with the 42 assembly segments that constitute these parliamentary constituencies.

Polling will continue till 6 pm as there are no Maoist-hit zones under these Lok Sabha seats, the official added.