1,89,099 candidates in fray for Odisha Panchayat elections

A total 1,89,099 candidates remained in the fray for the three-tier panchayat elections to be held in five phases from February 13, officials said.
The State Election Commission (SEC) said before the deadline for nomination withdrawal ended yesterday, as many as 17,616 candidates withdrew their names from the nomination process.
Of the 1,89,099 candidates, 26,539 candidates will vie for Sarpanch posts, while 22,109 persons will contest for samiti members. Similarly, 3,288 candidates will fight for Zilla Parishad posts, SEC secretary Rabindra Nath Sahu said.
As many as 1,37,163 persons will contest for ward member posts during the elections, he said.

Meanwhile, campaigning for the panchayat poll started today after nomination, scrutiny and withdrawal process got over yesterday.
"Campaigning will end at 7 PM on February 11 before poll day on February 13," said Sahu.