Voters queue up to cast vote in Balasore on Thursday. Telegraph picture

April 17: Two voters lost their lives in the final phase of polling in the state.

Intense heat took toll on Laxman Sahu, 75, who suffered a heart attack after casting his vote at booth No. 174 in Dhenkanal town. He was shifted to a hospital, where he was declared dead.

In Balasore’s Parakhi gram panchayat Narendra Jena, 52, collapsed while standing in the queue for voting. He was rushed to the headquarters hospital, where he was declared brought dead.

Elsewhere in Dhenkanal district, a BJP polling agent was detained for alleged foul play during polls.

“A BJP polling agent in Gondia was detained after district authorities received a complaint that he was misguiding voters that EVM machines were faulty,” said Manoranjan Mahanty, police superintendent of Dhenkanal.

An election official said that snag in electronic voting machines (EVMs) had delayed start of polling in some booths in Dhenkanal parliamentary constituency from where BJD’s Tathagata Satpathy is seeking a fifth term.

Polling for the lone Lok Sabha and seven Assembly constituencies in Jajpur was delayed in some parts of the district because of similar technical hitch.

“When I turned up at the polling booth, I found that EVMs could not function. I had to wait for over an hour to exercise my franchise,” said Bamdev Mishra in Dharmasala constituency.

To help people vote in the heat, colliery authorities in Angul had built makeshift shelters that served drinking water and energy drinks to voters. In Dhenkanal, all voters in 927 booths were served sherbats and a chocolate each.

In Jajpur, tension prevailed in booth No. 170 of Dharmasala constituency as polling officials shut it to have lunch.

“When I arrived at the polling booth at about 2.30 pm, I found the doors of the booth were shut. When asked, I was told that the polling officials having lunch,” said Gopal Charan Moharana.

On polling day, political parties engaged in mudslinging. Congress candidate in Dharmasala Assembly segment Srinath Mishra alleged that BJD supporters had rigged polls in at least 30 booths.

“Police administration and election observers were not reachable when ruling party supporters were rigging and capturing booth in Dharmasala Assembly segment,” said Srinath Mishra.

“My polling agents were forcibly removed from the booths in some places,” he said. The BJP also made similar allegation against the ruling party.

“The election in Jajpur has been rigged by ruling party candidates in connivance with the district administration and police,” said Amiya Kanta Mallick”, the BJP candidate for the Jajpur Lok Sabha seat.

However, district electoral officer Anil Kumar Samal only spoke of EVM snag in at least 12 booths in the district.

While it was festive mood across the district, over 400 voters of Ghadamara Sahi-Janghar village under Gahaganda panchayat in Keonjhar’s Anandapur Assembly constituency boycotted polls alleging lack of development in their area.

Polling in the north districts of Mayurbhanj, Balasore and Bhadrak was peaceful barring a few minor incidents.

In Balasore district, enthusiasm was noticed among young, women and first-time voters.

Despite searing heat, voters stood in long queues to vote. However, towards afternoon, cloudy weather brought relief for voters.

Minati Singh, a young voter in tribal-dominated Nilgiri area, said: “This is my first bid to participate in the process of choosing our representative.”

District election officer Padmanabha Dora said: “Polling was by and large peaceful barring a few stray incidents.”

Bhadrak sub-collector Ramchandra Palda said: “Polling in the district has been peaceful.”

In Mayurbhanj’s Thakurmunda area, voters of booth No. 137 abstained from voting, said additional district magistrate S. Mahalik.