Odisha: A total of 10 contestants are in the fray for the December 5 by-poll in the Padampur assembly constituency. This is after one aspirant withdrew his nomination paper and the papers of two others were rejected during scrutiny. A total of 13 persons including BJD’s Barsha Singh Bariha, BJP’s Pradip Purohit, and Congress candidate Satyabusan Sahu, filed their nomination on the last day on November 17.
State chief electoral officer S K Lohani said, “Of them, the papers of two persons were rejected during scrutiny.” The by-election is being held following the death of sitting MLA Bijaya Ranjan Singh Bariha on October 3. Bariha was elected from Padampur Assembly segment on a BJD ticket in 2019.
Altogether 2,57,474 people - 1,29,497 men, 1,27,965 women, 12 from the transgender community, and 199 service voters can exercise their franchise in the election at Padampur in Bargarh district. Voting will take place in 319 polling stations of which at least 74 booths have been identified as vulnerable to left-wing extremism, while another 78 have been marked as sensitive. Lohani said that at least nine companies (one company comprises 100 personnel) of the central police force and 41 platoons (one platoon comprise 30 personnel) of state police will be deployed in the constituency for smooth conduct of the by-election.
Webcasting arrangement has been done in at least 160 polling stations, which is half the total number of them. The model code of conduct (MCC) is in force in the constituency since November 5, he said. Voting will be held from 7 am to 4 pm in view of the winter season and the LWE-affected areas.
Counting will be held on December 8, the CEO said.
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