LS Polls 2019 LIVE: BJD writes to Chief Electoral Officer over violation of EC guidelines

Polling is underway in four Lok Sabha and 28 Assembly constituencies of Odisha. Voting was reportedly delayed in several booths in Koraput, Nuapada and Malkangiri districts.

Bhubaneswar: Polling is underway in four Lok Sabha and 28 Assembly constituencies in Odisha on Thursday with voters arriving at polling booths to exercise their franchise. Elaborate security arrangements have been made to ensure smooth polling throughout Odisha at various polling stations.

LIVE UPDATES:

• Biju Janata Dal (BJD) writes to Chief Electoral Officer, Bhubaneswar, over violation of EC guidelines by BJP for holding press meet today
  

  BJD writes to Chief Electoral Officer over violation of EC guidelines
• 44% voter turnout recorded till 1 PM
• EVM glitch in Nuapada's Khadiala Assembly constituency
• Voters boycott polls in Nabarangpur district due to lack of basic facilities in their village Pakhnaguda
  

  Voters boycott polls in Nabarangpur
• Primitive Bonda tribals lined up to cast votes in Odisha's Malkangiri district
• Nabarangpur MP Balabhadra Majhi cast his vote
  

  Balabhadra Majhi cast his vote
• State Cabinet Minister Ramesh Chandra Majhi cast vote in Nabarangpur
• 22% voter turnout till 11 AM
• Voting underway in Berhampur Lok Sabha constituency
• 1200 voters boycott voting in Chitrakonda Assembly constituency
• 6% polling percentage recorded across Odisha till 9 AM
• Polling couldn't start in 9 booths of Malkangiri as people did not turn up to cast their votes
• Voting delayed several booths in Koraput, Nuapada and Malkangiri districts
  

  Voting delayed in Nuapada district
• Voters lined up outside polling booths to cast their votes

Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik is seeking re-election for the fourth time.

The Biju Janata Dal currently occupies 118 Assembly seats out of 147. Congress BJP and independent hold 16, 10 and 3 constituencies respectively.