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“A full of 32.51% of the 2.53 lakh voters exercised their franchise till 11 a.m. connected Tuesday (November 11, 2025) successful the bye-election to Nuapada Assembly spot successful Odisha,” an authoritative said.
The result of the bypoll is being seen arsenic politically important for the Biju Janta Dal (BJD), the BJP, and the Congress arsenic it volition bespeak nationalist sentiment towards Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s government, trial the continued power of erstwhile CM Naveen Patnaik, and bespeak the Congress’ relevance successful the State.
Polling has been continuing since 7 a.m. crossed each 358 booths, including 47 identified arsenic sensitive, amid choky information arrangements. The bypoll was necessitated pursuing the decease of BJD MLA Rajendra Dholakia connected September 8. His son, Jay Dholakia, is contesting the predetermination arsenic a BJP candidate.
Mr. Dholakia formed his ballot on with his mother, Kalpana Dholakia, astatine Mongarapali Government High School successful Khariar Road.
Congress nominee Ghasiram Majhi besides exercised his franchise, portion BJD campaigner Snehangini Chhuria, who hails from neighbouring Bargarh district, visited respective polling booths to oversee the process.
While polling volition extremity astatine 5 p.m. successful 311 polling booths, it volition reason astatine 4 p.m. successful 47 delicate ones, including those successful Left Wing Extremism-affected areas.
Briefing reporters, Odisha's Chief Electoral Officer R.S. Gopalan said voting was nether mode smoothly successful each the polling booths and nary untoward incidents were reported.
However, 1 presiding officer, identified arsenic Dhananjay Mallick, posted astatine Kuliabandh Government School, was suspended for failing to support the voting secrecy.
"We recovered done webcasting that a idiosyncratic formed a ballot for different astatine the booth and walked away. The presiding serviceman did not entity to it. Therefore, helium was suspended and removed from the booth," the CEO said.
BJD main Naveen Patnaik appealed to each to workout their franchise successful the bypoll, the archetypal predetermination successful the State aft the 2024 elections.
"Voting is your right, each ballot is valuable. Let america enactment successful the Nuapada by-election and ballot successful ample numbers," Mr. Patnaik posted connected X (formerly Twitter).
The BJD successful a petition to the District Election Officer (DEO)-cum District Collector, alleged that the ruling BJP workers distributed nutrient among voters.
“Though determination was a impermanent disruption successful voting for immoderate clip astatine Mongarapali Polling Station connected Khariar Road owed to a method glitch, it was rectified,” an authoritative said, adding that 3 Ballot Units (BUs) and 3 Control Units (CUs) were promptly replaced.
“Apart from Odisha Police personnel, 14 companies of the Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) person been deployed crossed Nuapada to guarantee creaseless voting,” Nuapada SP Amritpal Singh said.
