About 50 per cent voter turnout was reported till 1 am during repolling for the twin polls to Lok Sabha and Assembly in Orissa's Maoist infested Malkangiri district, despite an exchange of fire between security personnel and Maoist ultras, official sources said.
Polling was disrupted in five booths at Bhejangwada under Malkangiri Assembly segment for about two hours in the wake of the shootout.
The Maoists started firing at about 9 am near Bhejanwada polling station. However, they fled into the jungle after security personnel retaliated, the sources said.
The polling was scheduled to continue till 15:00 hrs, official sources said, adding that polling time could be extended till the last person cast their vote.
No untoward incident was reported from any of the other 12 polling booths in Malkangiri, district Collector N B Jawale told PTI.
Repolling was being held in 17 booths under two Assembly segments of Malkangiri and Chitrakonda. The polling in the 17 booths was disrupted on April 16 due to attack by the ultras.
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Voters of eight more booths elsewhere in the state were also taking part in the re-poll.
Polling was disrupted for about 45 minutes at Nimasahi booth under Barabati-Cuttack Assembly segment due to clash among workers of BJD, BJP and Congress.
A senior police officer said, besides 11 companies (about 1100 personnel) of central force, anti-naxalite elite force of Orissa were guarding the polling stations in Malkangiri.
Two choppers were engaged to monitor peaceful elections in the Maoist belt, the collector said.
Adequate security arrangement had also been made for the polling officials and the voters, the district administration claimed.
Meanwhile, re-polling was peaceful in two booths under Nayagarh assembly segment and five booths under Koraput segment.