Baripada: The election results of Mayurbhanj Parliamentary seat and seven Assembly constituencies coming under it have thrown a few surprises. Notable among them is the number of NOTA (None of the above) voters.
According to the results, 21,357 voters have disliked the Parliamentary candidates from across political parties and used the NOTA option. However, political analysts are of the opinion that, had these votes gone in favour of any candidate then the margin of votes between winners and trailers could have been lessened.
The voting pattern and behaviour of voters in Odisha in general and Mayurbhanj in particular are steadily changing. This has become a matter of concern for political parties.
There are altogether 14,93,205 voters in Baripada, Udala, Bangiriposi, Saraskana, Jashipur, Rairangpur and Morada Assembly segments, which come under this Parliamentary constituency. Out of the total number of voters, about 11,29,000 have cast their votes in 2019 general elections.
The BJP candidate Bishweswar Tudu has won the Mayurbhanj Parliamentary seat by defeating his nearest BJD rival Debasish Marandi. JMM candidate Anjani Soren got the third place.
56,422 voters fail to find likeable leaders
Chhatrapur: Over 56,000 voters did not have their likeable candidates in the recent Assembly and Parliamentary polls in Ganjam district.
The BJD won the Lok Sabha seats of Aska and Berhampur and 13 Assembly seats in the district. The results revealed that 56,422 voters preferred NOTA.
The number of voters having preferred NOTA in Berhampur Parliamentary seat was 14,381. In Aska Lok Sabha seat, 17,344 voters had pressed the NOTA button.
Similarly, 1,776 voters pressed NOTA in Chattrapur Assembly segment; 1441 voters in Bhanjanagar Assembly seat; 1,565 in Polsara seat; 2,656 in Kabisuryanagar seat; 2,312 voters in Khalikote seat; 1,848 in Aska Assembly seat; 2,885 in Sorada; 2,765 in Sanakhemundi seat; 1,503 in Hinjili seat; 1,293 in Gopalpur seat; 1,113 in Berhampur Assembly seat; 2,185 in Digapahandi seat; and 1,355 in Chikiti seat.
PNN