Bhubaneswar: Over 69 per cent of voters
exercised their franchise in fifth and last phase of panchayat
polls in Orissa on Sunday which witnessed stray incidents of
violence and booth capturing in some places.
"An estimated 69.41 per cent of the 311.85 lakh
electorate voted in the final phase of panchayat elections,"
State Election Commission sources said here.
Nayagarh district registered the maximum voter turnout
of 85 per cent, while Bargarh and Jagatsinghpur districts
recorded 77 per cent polling. The turnout in Cuttack district
was 62 per cent, lowest in the state, the sources said.
The fifth phase of polling was held for 111 zilla parishad zones and 806 gram panchayats spread over 48 blocks in 24 districts. The elections for first four phases had been held on February 11, 13, 15 and 17.
Polling passed off by and large peacefully barring
stray incidents of violence and attempted booth capturing in
districts like Jajpur, Ganjam, Puri and Cuttack, sources said.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, February 19, 2012, 21:29