Bhubaneswar: Around 22,000 polling officials and 195 platoons of security forces will be deployed for smooth conduct of the urban polls in the state, State Election Commissioner Aditya Prasad Padhi said Monday. The elections to 109 urban local bodies (ULBs) including three municipal corporations of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Berhampur, are scheduled to be held March 24 while results will be declared March 26.
Speaking about poll arrangements, Padhi said one presiding officer and four polling officers will be engaged in each booth. Approximately 22,000 polling officials are expected to reach their respective booths by the afternoon of March 23, Padhi informed.
Padhi said 6,411 candidates are in the fray for the ULB polls. While 569 candidates have remained in the battle field for the post of chairperson and mayor, 5,842 are there for the election to councillor and corporator seats.
The election will be held at 1,672 wards in 106 municipalities and notified area councils (NACs) and 165 wards in three municipal corporations. Over 40.55 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise in the election for which voting will be done between 8.00am and 5.00pm. Padhu also informed that there will be 2,989 booths in 106 municipalities and NACs and 1,384 booths in three corporations.
The State Election Commissioner further said three corporators of BeMC and 58 councillors of different NACs and municipalities have been elected unopposed. Besides, no candidate has filed nomination for the post of councilor in one ward in each of Pattamundai Municipality, Kamakhyanagar NAC and Purushottampur NAC. As per norms, the Odisha government can nominate persons for the vacant posts, Padhi informed.
Two EVMs will be used in each booth- one to elect mayor/chairperson and another for corporators and councillors. For the first time, there will be a none-of-the-above (NOTA) option for voters in the EVMs.