The fourth and last phase of Odisha Assembly elections is set to be held today. After two months of fervent electioneering, the high-decibel campaign for both Lok Sabha and assembly elections in Odisha concluded on Thursday, setting the stage for the final phase of polling on June 1.
The fourth and ultimate phase of the twin elections will cover six Lok Sabha constituencies and 42 assembly segments, including Mayurbhanj, Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara, and Jagatsinghpur. Around one crore people will be casting their votes in the last phase on June 1 at 10,882 polling booths across the six parliamentary seats, said Odisha CEO NB Dhal.
The earlier three phases of elections were held on May 13, May 20, May 25. Odisha comprises a total of 147 Assembly constituencies. After the completion of the voting process, the results will be known on June 4.
During the earlier three rounds of polling, voting was conducted for 15 Lok Sabha seats and 105 assembly seats across the state.
Prominent figures in the fray include BJP’s former Union minister Pratap Sarangi and national vice-president Baijayant Panda, as well as BJD stalwarts Sudam Marndi, Lekhasri Samantsinghar, Manjulata Mandal, and Ansuman Mohanty. Congress’ Srikant Jena and JMM’s Anjani Soren are among the notable contenders among the 66 Lok Sabha candidates competing for victory.
BJD’s state ministers Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak and Preetiranjan Gharei, along with leaders Subhasini Jena and Byomakesh Ray, are in the electoral arena. The BJP is represented by state president Manmohan Samal, actor-politician Akash Das Nayak, and Prakash Soren, while the Congress features former state president Niranjan Patnaik among its prominent candidates.
Key figures from major political parties such as the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Congress actively campaigned for their respective candidates since the election process began on May 13.
The BJP’s campaign was spearheaded by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who addressed a total of 10 rallies in the state. Joining him were prominent union ministers including Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, and Dharmendra Pradhan, along with chief ministers from BJP-governed states such as Himanta Biswa Sarma and Vishnu Dev Sai, as well as BJP party president J P Nadda.
During his final campaign leg in Baripada, Balasore, and Kendrapara on May 29, Prime Minister Modi raised concerns about Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s health and hinted at a possible “conspiracy” behind it. In response, Patnaik expressed disappointment, suggesting that a simple phone call from the Prime Minister would have sufficed to inquire about his well-being.
The BJP campaign also focused on the issue of Odia pride, criticising Patnaik’s aide VK Pandian for alleged power concentration and control over the chief minister. The BJP also highlighted issues such as the missing keys of the Ratna Bhandar treasury at the Lord Jagannath Temple in Puri.
The ruling BJD’s campaign centred around Naveen Patnaik and VK Pandian, with both leaders conducting numerous rallies and roadshows across the state.
Meanwhile, Congress leaders including President Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi addressed several rallies, with Gandhi condemning both the BJD and BJP for their apparent collaboration.
Tight security arrangements are in place involving 125 companies of central forces.