Odisha assembly elections live updates: Voting under way in 28 constituencies

* BJP draws its confidence this time from a stronger organisation structure. In their rallies, Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah have sought a “double engine”, asking people to vote for BJP in both the LS and assembly. Naveen has dismissed that, saying BJD will do very well.
* In order to assist differently-abled voters, vehicles have been deployed to transport them to polling stations, while volunteers are also being engaged to help them cast their votes in the booths.

* A total of 60,03, 707 electorates including 29, 72, 925 male, 30,30, 222 female and 560 third gender voters will exercise their franchise to decide the fate of 191 candidates for 28 assembly seats.

*Around 47,805 polling personnel have been deployed to conduct the first phase of the polls. Women staff have been deployed in 30 booths.

* To make the election process accessible for 1, 03, 307 persons with disability (PWD), the Election Commission has made arrangements of wheel chairs in 6988 booths while 5051 booths are supplied with Braille ballot sheets and 2617 vehicles deployed to take PWD voters to polling stations.

* Sitting BJD MLAs, who are trying their luck are senior leader and minister Surya Narayan Patro from Digapahandi, Usha Devi from Chikiti and Pradeep Panigrahy from Gopalpur and Congress MLA K Surya Rao is contesting from Paralakhemundi assembly constituency.


* The Jeypore assembly seat, which happens to be the only general seat in Koraput district, is going to witness a triangular contest between sitting MLA of Congress Tara Prasad Bahinipati, BJD’s Rabi Narayan Nanda and BJP's Goutam Samantoray.