Bhubaneswar: Over 60 percent of polling was reported till 1 PM in the first phase of the panchayat elections in Odisha on Wednesday, informed the State Election Commission (SEC).
Despite some sporadic incidents, polling was relatively peaceful across the State. At around 10.30 AM, a ballot box was looted from a polling booth in Chapamanik gram panchayat in Puri district.
Several cases of poll violence were reported from Jajpur and Puri district including an attack on four electronic media personnel. Besides, polls were boycotted at several places over various demands.
The election was countermanded for 13 Ward Member posts, six Sarpanch posts, three Panchayat Samiti Member posts, and one Zilla Parishad Member post due to the death of contesting candidates.
