Bhubaneswar: The third phase of Panchayat polls came to an end on Sunday evening. Total 71 per cent of the registered voters turned up for voting at the centres, the State Election Commissioner, Aditya Prasad Padhi said.
There were 18,945 booths across the State where voting was conducted for 171 Zilla Parishads, 1,382 Gram Panchayats, in 63 Blocks of 29 Distircts, in the third phase on Sunday.
“There were incidents in Jajpur, for which strict action will be taken against those who have attacked journalists. The Commission has taken strict note of the incident and directed the DGP and Jajpur district administration for action,” said Padhi.
The voting percentage in Malkangiri district is encouraging. Despite being Maoist-hit, the Mathili and Podia blocks have witnessed significant voter turnout, said Padhi. Total 56.53 lakh votes were cast in the state in the third phase.
The SEC added, “The voting process was disrupted due to incidents of violence and related activities. the SEC has sought reports from respective district collectors in this regard and action will be taken accordingly.”
