Bhubaneswar, Feb 16: All preparations have been done in relation to the third phase of Panchayat polls that is set to begin from tomorrow in 65 blocks in 30 districts of Odisha. The SEC secretary Rabindranath Sahu informed the media that 53,234,993 people would exercise their franchise for the election of 1394 Panchayat Samiti members and 18,859 Ward Members in 175 Zilla Parishad (ZP) zones. The polling parties have already left for their respective booths and will be arriving there by afternoon. Also, police forces have been deployed to avoid any unwanted situation in those places including in the Maoists prone districts. The SEC secretary further said that in the third phase Panchayat polls, polling would be held in Deogarh which was scheduled in the first phase polls but was deferred due to security reasons. Three-tier security arrangements have been put in place in Deogarh to maintain law and order during the polls. Giving details of poll related violence during the second phase polls which concluded yesterday, Sahu said the Commission has received reports on 21 incidents of violence and two incidents relating to poll disturbances. However as compared to the first phase polls, the number of violence has drastically come down in the second phase polls.
