Bhubaneswar: With the elections for the Urban Local Bodies of the state remaining just two days, all preparations are in full swing by the State Election Commission. Three Municipal Corporations along with 47 Municipalities and 59 NACs of the state will go for elections on the 24th of this month. While 569 candidates are in fray for the Mayor and Chairman posts, 5842 candidates are in the race for Corporators and Councillors. While 2989 booths are being set up for the Municipalities and NACs, for the three Municipal Corporations, 1384 booths are being set up. More than 40 lakh voters will cast their votes.
Briefing media persons, State Election Commissioner Aditya Prasad Padhi has said that 22 thousand polling personnel will be engaged for the elections. All the polling personnel have been asked to reach their respective boots by the evening of the 23rd of March. The voting will be held from 8 am in the morning to 5 pm in the evening. Counting of votes will be held on 26th March.
The State Election Commissioner has said that 195 platoons of police force will be deployed for free and fair elections to the ULBs. While thirty platoons will be positioned in Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation area, in Cuttack 20 platoons will be deployed. In Berhampur, ten platoons of police forces will be deployed. The Commission has also made arrangements for 300 mobile parties of which 109 will be deployed in the three Municipal Corporations.
He informed that, 61 candidates, including three from Berhampur Municipal Corporation have been elected unopposed. While 16 candidates are contesting for the Mayor post in Cuttack, the same number of candidates are contesting for the post of Chairman of the Baripada Municipality. There are 18 candidates contesting for the Chairman post of Jeypore Municipality.
Speaking to media, Padhi said, two separate EVMs will be used this time as the elections for Mayor and Chairman posts are being held directly.