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78.96% voter turnout recorded in Bijepur bypoll in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: By-election to Bijepur Assembly constituency in Bargarh district recorded a voter turnout of 78.96 per cent on Monday, said the Chief Electoral Office (CEO) sources.

“Voting was held peacefully and no violence has been reported at any booth. After polling began, glitches were detected in only one VVPAT machine,” said Chief Electoral Officer Sushil Kumar Lohani.

The fate of five candidates have been locked in the EVMs. The counting of votes will be held on October 24.

While ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has fielded Rita Sahu, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has nominated Sanat Gartia and the Congress has fielded Dillip Kumar Panda in the Assembly segment.

The by-election was necessitated after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who had won two segments in the 2019 Assembly polls, vacated Bijepur and retained Hinjili in Ganjam district.

(IANS)

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