According to the State Election Commission (SEC), 13 ward member candidates have lost their lives before the first phase of voting, while six sarpanch candidates and three panchayat Samiti members lost their lives so far.
Moreover, one Zilla Parishad aspirant died before the polling date.
Voting for the first of the five-phase Odisha rural elections held at a total of 22,379 booths across 71 blocks in 30 districts today. The voting began at 7 am and continued till 1 pm in adherence to strict Covid-19 safety protocols.
More than 37,000 police personnel have been deployed at the polling stations to maintain the law and order situations.
