An enforcement official pulls down a poster near Sriya Talkies at Kharavela Nagar on Wednesday night.

With the model code of conduct in force, the enforcement wing of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation has started a drive to remove publicity hoardings and party flags along the roads of the city.

The drive began on Wednesday from Master Canteen Square and railway station area covering Janpath and Ram Mandir. It resumed on Thursday at 8am and continued till 6.30pm. The authorised advertisements of various parties at allotted spots were spared, while unauthorised advertisements, welcome arches, banners, posters and flags were targeted.

District election officer Krishan Kumar has been entrusted with the job of conducting free and fair polls in the three Assembly constituencies and one parliamentary constituency in Bhubaneswar. Chief electoral officer of Odisha Mona Sharma said no campaign posters would be allowed inside or on the boundary walls of any educational institution and government office building.

Text by Bibhuti Barik, picture by Ashwinee Pati