Bhubaneswar, (Reporterspen), April 25: The nomination filing period for the first phase of elections in Odisha, covering four Lok Sabha and 28 Assembly constituencies slated for May 13, concludes on Thursday.
Initiated on April 18, candidates’ nomination papers will undergo scrutiny on Friday, with the option to withdraw nominations available until Monday, April 29, as per the Election Commission of India (ECI) directives.
In addition to the 28 Assembly seats, polling will also be conducted for four Lok Sabha seats—Kalahandi, Brahmpur, Koraput, and Nabarangpur—in the first phase.
As of Wednesday, a total of 30 candidates had filed their nominations for Lok Sabha polls in the first phase, with varying numbers in each constituency. Similarly, 336 candidates had filed nominations for the 28 Assembly seats.
Odisha’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has advised candidates against organizing large rallies during their visit to district authorities for filing nomination papers. Polling for 21 Lok Sabha and 147 Assembly seats in Odisha will take place across four phases on May 13, 20, 25, and June 1, with vote counting scheduled for June 4.
