Bhubaneswar: The deadline for campaigning exercise for the first phase of panchayat elections in Odisha set to expire today evening.
On the other hand, polling parties have already started arriving at their designated booths in several parts of the State.
According to sources, polling officials will leave for their respective booths in 11 districts – Balasore, Bhadrak, Khordha, Nayagarh, Puri, Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Boudh, Rayagada and Koraput today. Similarly, other group of the polling parties will leave for the remaining 19 districts tomorrow.
In the first phase of election on February 16, votes will be polled at 200 zilla parishad zones in 71 blocks. Voting will be carried out at 22379 wards and 1669 panchayats across the State. As many as 67.51 lakh voters will exercise their franchise