Jharsuguda: Voting for the by-poll to the Jharsuguda Assembly constituency began at 7.00 am on Wednesday and will continue till 6.00 pm. The electorate here will decide the fate of 9 candidates in the fray.
As many as 2,21,719 voters, comprising 1,10,619 males, 1,11,037 females, and 63 transgenders will exercise their franchise at 253 booths in 197 sites across the constituency. A total of 1,012 polling officers have been deployed at the 253 booths and four of them are managing each booth.
In addition, 26 pink booths and 40 model booths have been set up exclusively for women voters.
The administration has identified 116 booths as sensitive and special arrangements have been made for these booths. The Election Commission has arranged for webcasting of the electoral process at all 253 booths in the constituency.
Meanwhile, security has been beefed up across the constituency for the smooth conduct of the election. Altogether 1,814 police personnel, including 155 police officers, 17 platoons of armed police, 323 constables, and 205 home guards have been deployed at the booths and for patrolling. In addition, seven companies of CAPF have been deployed in the constituency.
It will be a triangular contest at Jharsuguda Assembly by-poll this time among the Biju Janata Dal’s candidate Dipali Das, the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Tankadhar Tripathy, and the Congress nominee Tarun Pandey.
The by-poll was necessitated following the murder of the sitting BJD MLA and state Health Minister Naba Kishore Das who was shot at by suspended ASI Gopal Das at Gandhi Chhak in Brajarajnagar on January 29, resulting in the minister’s death.
