Odisha Panchayat Elections 2022: All You Need To Know

Odisha Panchayat Elections 2022: The first phase of the three-tier panchayat elections is set to begin on Wednesday with the Covid-19 protocol in place.

As per Odisha’s SEC (State Election Commission), more than 67.51 lakh voters are eligible to vote during the panchayat polls. 22,379 polling booths have been set up to elect 200 Zilla Parishad members, sarpanches, ward members, and Panchayat Samiti members.

Voting will take place between 7 am – 1 pm. Voters are directed to wear masks and maintain social distance while waiting in line to cast their votes. Corona affected patients can also cast their vote during the last hour of polling.

Voting for 6,794 Grama panchayats, 91,916 wards, and 853 Zilla Parishads will be held in five phases on February 16, 18, 20, 22, and 24. The first phase of voting is going to cover 1,669 Sarpanch posts, 200 Zilla Parishad seats, 1,669 Samiti member seats, and 22,379 ward member posts in 71 blocks of 30 districts.

3357 polling booths are identified as sensitive and hence CCTV Cameras have been installed there. Special security measures have been enforced in Koraput, Malkangiri, Balangir, Kalahandi, Rayagada, and Kandhamal districts, where Maoists have called for a boycott of the Panchayat polls.