The political arena in Odisha is ablaze with fervent activity ahead of Phase III polling for Lok Sabha and Assembly seats scheduled for May 25.
· With six Lok Sabha constituencies and 42 Assembly segments set to cast their votes, leaders from major political parties are intensifying their efforts to sway the electorate in their favor.
· In a bid to capture the attention and support of voters, leaders from the Congress, BJP, and BJD are orchestrating rallies and roadshows across the state.
· Odisha witnessed a flurry of visits from political heavyweights, including Naveen Patnaik, Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, JP Nadda, and Rahul Gandhi.
As the clock ticks down to the final moments of campaigning, the political arena in Odisha is ablaze with fervent activity ahead of Phase III polling for Lok Sabha and Assembly seats scheduled for May 25. With six Lok Sabha constituencies and 42 Assembly segments set to cast their votes, leaders from major political parties are intensifying their efforts to sway the electorate in their favor.
In a bid to capture the attention and support of voters, leaders from the Congress, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) are orchestrating rallies and roadshows across the state. The stakes are high, and heavy-weight leaders are sparing no effort to rally support as the curtains draw on the campaign at 5 pm today.
Prominent figures from political spheres are embarking on whirlwind tours of constituencies, making last-minute appeals to voters. Cuttack, for instance, braces for a battle royale between BJP’s Bhartruhari Mahtab, BJD’s Santrupt Misra, and Congress candidate Suresh Mohapatra. Similarly, Puri is set to witness a fierce contest between BJD’s Arup Patnaik and BJP’s Sambit Patra. Meanwhile, the state capital anticipates intense clashes between BJD’s Manmath Routray and BJP’s Aparajita Sarangi.
In a bid to sway the electorate, top leaders including JP president J P Nadda, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, and his Assam counterpart Himanta Biswa Sarma are slated to address election rallies in Odisha. Nadda will grace meetings at Karanjia, Dhamnagar, Barchana, and Balikuda, while Adityanath, making his debut campaign appearance in Odisha, will hold rallies at Chilika and Kulia.
The contest in the Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat promises to be particularly riveting, with the ruling BJD fielding party general secretary (Organisation) Pranab Prakash Das against Union Education Minister and BJP stalwart Dharmendra Pradhan.
Previously, Odisha witnessed a flurry of visits from political heavyweights, including Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP National President JP Nadda, and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi during Phase-II of the state assembly poll and Phase-V of the Lok Sabha election.
Amidst the electoral fervor, repolling is underway at two polling booths in Kandhamal district, tightly secured to ensure a fair and transparent process. Allegations of booth rigging during the second phase election on May 20 prompted the Election Commission of India (ECI) to order the repolling, underscoring the commitment to upholding the democratic process in Odisha.
(With inputs from agencies)
