A woman casts her vote during the panchayat polls in Odisha. Telegraph picture.

Bhubaneswar, Feb. 13: The second round of polling for the three-tier panchayat elections was by and large peaceful barring a few incidents of violence. As against 68 per cent polling on February 11, the state witnessed 70 per cent people turning up to cast their franchise.

Incidents of rigging, booth capturing and snatching of ballot boxes were reported from various places and a former chairman of the Titilagarh Notified Area Council in Balangir district belonging to the BJD was arrested for attacking a party candidate.

The second phase of polling was fairly peaceful except a few stray incidents, said election commissioner Ajit Kumar Tripathy.

Polling was held in 20,481 booths under 83 blocks across the state. Around 69.96 per cent of over 56.5 lakh voters exercised their franchise today. Subarnapur district recorded the highest polling rate (83 per cent) and Cuttack the lowest (60 per cent).

Balangir police today arrested Subhransu Dash, a BJD activist and a former chairman of the Titilagarh Notified Area Council for attacking Bhaktaram Majhi, the party candidate for the zilla parishad last night. Makhanu Bag, an aide of Dash, was also taken into custody.

“I was returning home last night after my final campaign when Dash with some of his aides, armed with lathis and hockey sticks, attacked me,” he said.

Reports from Ganjam said two persons, including a former zilla parishad member Kirtan Das, sustained injuries at Badapalli village in the Rambha police station area last night. “BJD workers entered our village at 8pm and threatened us to vote for their candidates to which we objected. So, they suddenly attacked us with lathi,” said Das.

In another incident, BJD and Congress workers clashed at a village in the Kasinagar police station area in Gajapati district.

Tension prevailed in Nischintakoili area of Cuttack district as criminals set fire to ballot boxes at five booths under Bandhakatia panchayat.

In the neighbouring Jajpur district, criminals snatched ballot boxes at Naguan village under Rasulpur block and later dumped it in a nearby pond after the polling was over. Goons tried to capture booths in Bandhadiha panchayat as well. Polling was also stalled for three hours at a booth of the same panchayat because of alleged rigging.

Poll boycott

In Balasore district, villagers of Uttarchaka under Remuna block abstained from voting in protest against lack of basic facilities. Their counterparts at Satakholia village under Nilgiri block did not exercise their franchise on similar grounds.

Voters stayed away from voting at Bania and Bhagwanpur in Bhadrak district, citing administrative apathy towards local problems.

Poll boycott has also been reported from Rajalakapur gram panchayat of Saraskona block in Mayubhanj district demanding that their area should be included in Bangiriposhi block.