First phase Lok Sabha poll in Odisha

Campaigning ended for 10 Lok Sabha seats and 70 Assembly constituencies. These seats were scheduled to go to the polls on Thursday (April 16). And the remaining will go to polls on April 23. The main contest will be between Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). There will be also other small players like NCP, CPI, CPM and BSP. Orissa will witness a triangular contest for the first time. After the split between BJD and BJP, political equations in the state have completely changed and the battle has become more interesting.

As many as 599 aspirants, including 48 women, are trying their luck at the hustings in 70 assembly segments across the state. Voting for the rest 11 of the 21 Lok Sabha and 77 of the 147 assembly constituencies in the state is scheduled to be held on April 23 in the second phase.

The most prominent Assembly segment that was going to the polls on April 16 was Hinjili from where Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal president Naveen Patnaik seeking a re-entry to the state Assembly.

Nearly 4,000 jawans of para-military forces were deployed and three choppers engaged in sensitive and Naxal-infested areas and the state has sought seven more companies of central forces to ensure peaceful polls.

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