Nomination filing process starts for LS, Assembly polls in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: With the Election Commission of India issuing notification for the simultaneous elections for Lok Sabha and Odisha Assembly, the nomination paper filing process started on Thursday.

The candidates can file nomination papers for Odisha's four Lok Sabha constituencies and 28 assembly segments between 11 am and 3 pm from April 18 to April 25, the notification said.

Voting will be held on May 13 in four Lok Sabha seats - Berhampur, Nabarangpur (ST), Kalahandi and Koraput (ST). Polling for the 28 assembly segments under the four Parliamentary constituencies will also be held on the same day.

Odisha's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Nikunj B Dhal said the nomination papers will be scrutinised on April 26 and the last date for candidates to withdraw nomination is April 29 and the polling will be held on May 13.

The polling will be held on May 13. While the normal voting timing is 7 am to 6 pm, it will be held between 7 am to 4 pm and 7 am to 5 pm in certain areas hit by left-wing Extremism (LWE).

The first phase of elections in Odisha will witness fight between the ruling BJD and the opposition BJP and Congress.

In the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, Naveen Patnaik-led BJD had secured 12 of the 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha while BJP got 8 seats and Congress won one seat.

In the Assembly elections, the BJD had secured 113 seats followed by BJP with 23 and Congress winning in only nine seats. CPI(M) and Independent candidates won one seat each in the 147-member Odisha Assembly.