Large–scale violence and attempts of rigging in the presence of police marked the third phase of elections to the three-tier panchayati raj institutions in Odisha on Sunday.
Votes were polled in 18,495 booths for 1,382 sarpanch posts and 171 zilla parishad members in 63 blocks. According to the State Election Commission (SEC), 71% votes were polled during the day.
“The voting was disrupted at a few places due to law and order. We have sought reports from the districts and would chalk out the next course of action basing on the report,” said State Election Commissioner Aditya Prasad Padhi.
The Commissioner also asked the DGP to take exemplary action against miscreants who had brutally attacked four journalists covering the attempts to capture a booth in Bachhola panchayat of Binjharpur block of Jajpur district.
In the same panchayat, ballot boxes were grabbed and flung into a nearby pond. The Block Development Officer of Korei in Jajpur district came under attack when he reached a polling booth on being informed about the disturbances. Poll violence was also recorded in Jajpur in the first two phases.
In Dera panchayt of Kendrapara district, the police personnel who tried to bring the situation under control were attacked by villagers. One SI sustained injuries.
A woman was seen casting bogus votes in Fatepur panchayat of Tihidi block of Bhadrak district. When she ignored requests to stay away from rigging, the presiding officer pleaded with the local police officer to rescue him from the booth. Instead of taking the woman into custody, the police personnel termed the situation normal.
Dissatisfaction over missing names
In Kalyansinghpur block of Rayagada district, members of Dongria Kondh, a particularly vulnerable tribal group, fled with a ballot box expressing their dissatisfaction over missing names in the voters’ list. They alleged that the names of 100 voters of Upara Musudi and Tala Musudi were not in the list.
“We had come to Railima village for casting our votes. When we found many names missing in the list, the women members got angry. They waited for hours to vote on empty stomach. They took the ballot box with them. After the administration assured that the mistakes would be rectified, the box was returned to them,” said Dongria Kondh tribe man.
