Indus Valley Times

By Princy Yadav

Sambalpur May 27: Braving extreme heat conditions, the residents of Sambalpur, one of the biggest urban centres in Western Odisha, exercised their franchise on Saturday. The sweltering heat couldn’t stop them from coming out of their comfort zones and standing in long queues for hours to exercise their voting rights.

Amidst the torrid heat of the summers, a large number voters from Sambalpur Lok-Sabha constituency participated in biggest festival of democracy. People were seen patiently waiting for hours in long queues for their turn to cast their votes.

“Voting is a once-in-five-years opportunity, and even though it was my second time, I was still excited. Despite the heat and scorching sun, I stood for more than an hour waiting for my turn. I felt proud to exercise my right to vote,” said Ritu Pathak, a first-year M. Com student.

In order to provide a comfortable voting experience to the voters, all the necessary arrangements were made at polling booths. Security personnel were deployed, and officials were actively engaged in providing guidance and addressing voters’ queries. Considering the rising temperatures, tents were set up and drinking water was made available in earthen pots. “This was my first voting experience, and it was truly wonderful. I was a bit nervous at first, but the officials there treated me well and guided me through the process. The right to vote gives us an opportunity to select the right leaders, which is important for the development and progress of our nation” says Kum Kum Sahu, 2nd year B. com student from Ravenshaw University.

According to the Election Commission, the 6th phase of the Lok Sabha elections concluded with over 60% voter turnout in 58 seats across six states and two union territories. Odisha recorded the third-highest voter turnout at 61.84%, following Bengal with 78.27% and Jharkhand with 63.56%. Among the 21 Lok Sabha constituencies in Odisha, Sambalpur witnessed the highest voter turnout at 76.63%.

Sambalpur has become a significant Lok Sabha constituency in Odisha as two top leaders from both the BJP and Biju Janata Dal are fighting a battle of honour here. The Bharatiya Janata Party has fielded Dharmendra Pradhan, the Union Education Minister. To counter the BJP, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has selected three-time MLA Pranab Prakash Das, who is considered the No. 2 leader in the party. Apart from this Congress has fielded Nagendra Kumar Pradhan, a former MP from the Sambalpur seat.