Puri: Amid tightened security and strict Covid-19 restrictions, the total voter turnout till 5 PM on Thursday has reached 68.40 percent, informed Chief Electoral Officer S K Lohani.
The polling process for the by-election to the Pipili assembly constituency is underway at 348 booths and will continue till 6 PM.
There was no report of any untoward incident from the assembly segment.
Nearly 2.30 lakh voters will decide the fate of 10 candidates, including the ruling BJD’s Rudrapratap Maharathy, Ashrit Pattnaik of the BJP and Congress nominee Bishwokeshan Harichandan Mohapatra. All of them have cast votes in their respective polling booths.
Reportedly, voting was delayed at three booths due to EVM malfunction during the first two hours of the polling. Similar situation was reported from booth numbers 203, 139-A, and 177.
