Bhubaneswar: Odisha is all set for the first of the five-phase three-tier panchayat elections in the State tomorrow.
The high-voltage campaigning by candidates for the first phase poll came to an end last evening.
As many as 67.51 voters are expected to exercise their franchise from 7 am till 1 pm. tomorrow, according to the State Election Commission (SEC).
Voting will be held at 200 zilla parishad (ZP) zones in 71 blocks, 1,669 panchayats and 22,379 wards at 22,379 booths across the State.
As many as 726 candidates are in the fray for the ZP 200 posts in the first phase.
The polling officials have already left for their respective booths in 11 districts – Balasore, Bhadrak, Khurda, Nayagarh, Puri, Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal, Boudh, Rayagada and Koraput on Monday. The other group will leave for the remaining 19 districts on Tuesday, the SEC informed.
Elections will be conducted in adherence to Covid guidelines. While all polling personnel are vaccinated with double dose, the booths will be sanitised a day before the elections.
Elections for the remaining four phases will be held on February 18, 20, 22, 24.