Jharsuguda: Polling for Brajarajnagar Assembly constituency bye-election in Odisha began on Tuesday.
Falling in Jharsuguda district, Brajrajnagar Assembly constituency includes Brajarajnagar, Lakhanpur, Belpahar and Jharsuguda blocks.
The voting began at 7 am and will continue till 6 pm. As many as 2,14,878 electorates are slated for casting their votes in 279 booths.
Of these, 22 booths are new while 60 booths have been identified as sensitive. Webcasting is being done in 145 booths. With the deployment of 27 platoons force and 100 police personnel, there have been tight security arrangements to ensure free and fair voting.
Brajarajnagar Assembly seat fell vacant after the death of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA Kishor Kumar Mohanty. BJD has fielded late Kishor Kumar Mohanty's wife Alaka Mohanty for the bypolls.
Further, former MLA Radharani Panda is the BJP candidate while Congress fielded former Odisha Legislative Assembly Speaker Kishor Chandra Patel from the seat. CPI nominated Ramesh Tripathi for the bypolls.
Moreover, 10 independent candidates are also contesting for the seat. The counting of votes will be done on June 3.—ANI