Bhubaneswar, Feb 18 (Agency) Over 65 per cent of 62.10 lakh voters on Friday exercised their franchise in the second phase of elections to the Panchayati raj institutions in the state. The voting for the second phase of elections had started in 186 Zilla Parishad zones and 1514 Panchayats spread over 20,436 booths in 68 blocks of 30 districts at 07 AM on Friday. State Election Commission(SEC) Secretary R N Sahu said elections to Kotla Panchayat on the border close to Andhra Pradesh which Andhra Pradesh has been claiming as their territory was also conducted peacefully. By noon Kotia reported 40 per cent voter turnout, Sahu said.
There were no reports of violence reported from anywhere except in Booth No 1 and 2 under Patsara Panchayat in Sadar block of Jagatsinghpur district, he said. Reports said some miscreants fled with a ballot box and damaged another after the Presiding officer did not allow the agent of a candidate to enter the booth as he came late. Polling was stopped and senior officers reached the spot. Reports reaching here said the villagers have boycotted voting in several places in Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Keonjhar, Kalahandi in protest against the non-fulfilment of their long-standing demands. Sources said two villages under Sadar block of Dhenkanal District, Mahulpunji village under Bhapur panchayat boycotted the poll protesting against the setting up of a poultry farm in their area. The villagers of Durgaprasad boycotted the election as the authorities failed to meet their demand according to revenue village status to their village.
The voters in booth No 15 of Kurugasasan in Cuttack district boycotted the poll after police took some people into custody in connection with a case. Villagers of Baradajodi and Ladipadar under Tentulikhunti panchayat of Nabarangpur and Sukhiaguda village under Tankua panchayat of Jeypore block in Koraput district did not cast their votes protesting against the absence of basic amenities like road connectivity in their area. As many as 240 platoons of police personnel, 1753 mobile patrolling parties along district police officers have been deployed all over the state for the second phase of polling in the state, official sources said.