SEC announces Odisha Panchayat Polls schedule

Bhubaneswar: The State Election Commission inOdisha today announced the schedule for the Panchayat polls beginning February 13.

The elections will be conducted in five phases in 852 Zilla Parishad zones of 314 blocks, SEC Secretary Rabindra Sahu said.

Polling would be held in 189 Zilla Parishad areas fallingin 65 Blocks in the first phase on February 13.

In the second phase on February 15, polling will be heldin 175 Zilla Parishad areas under 65 blocks.

The third phase would be on February 17 in which pollingwill be held in 175 Zilla Parishad areas of 65 blocks. In thefourth phase on February 19, polling will be held in 162 ZillaParishad areas of 62 blocks.

In the fifth and final phase polling, polling will be held in 151 Zilla Parishad areas of 59 blocks, Sahu added.

Sahu said polling in Zilla Parishad areas in all blockswill be conducted on a single day, except in Pattamundai blockin Kendrapada district and Kolanara block in Rayagada district where there will be two phase polling.

Meanwhile, Sahu said, elections in Pattamundai block would be held on February 19 and 21 while elections in Kolanara block will be held on February 17 and 19, he said.