Odisha Polls: Odisha Panchayat polls: BJD leading in 249 Zilla Parishad seats followed by BJP 32

The ruling Biju Janata Dal was main in 249 Zilla Parishad Zones (ZPZ) seats whereas BJP candidates are forward in 30 and Congress in 13 as per early traits of Odisha Panchayat polls, officers stated on Saturday. The counting of votes for 315 Zilla Parishad Zone seats started at 8 am in several block headquarters on Saturday beneath strict adherence to COVID-19 pointers, State Election Fee (SEC) officers stated.

Traits can be found for 299 Zilla Parishad seats with BJD forward in 249 seats, BJP in 32, Congress in 13, they stated.

The counting for the remaining 307 ZP zone seats might be achieved on February 27 and 229 Zilla Parishad zone seats on February 29, they stated.

In case any discrepancies have been discovered between the poll paper account ready by the presiding officer and precise poll papers within the poll field, the precise poll papers discovered within the poll field shall be taken into consideration and accordingly counting might be achieved and outcomes introduced, SEC secretary R N Sahu stated.

The counting of votes might be achieved for 3 days from Saturday. The polling was held in 5 completely different phases on February 16, 18, 20, 22, and 24. The general voter turnout was 78.6 per cent this time, barely higher than the 78.03 per cent in 2017.

Sahu stated the counting is finished beneath strict adherence to the COVID-19 pointers and CCTV cameras put in in counting halls. Every counting desk has one counting supervisor, two counting assistants and a fourth class worker. As per the method, the poll papers are being segregated by colors following which the bundles of fifty are being counted.

A complete of two.2 lakh candidates contested within the elections. The SEC had declared 36,523 ward members, 126 sarpanch, 326 panchayat samiti members, and one Zilla Parishad member as uncontested winners.