In Odisha, besides 70 Assembly segments, voting is taking place for 10 Lok Sabha seats. Prominent candidates for Parliamentary polls in the state are Giridhar Gamang, Hemanand Biswal and Bhakta Charan Das of Congress, Jual Oram of BJP and Dileep Tirkey of ruling BJD.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is contesting Assembly elections. The Election Commission has made elaborate security arrangements in Maoist-hit districts like Koraput, Malkangiri, Nuapada, Rayagada, Bolangir, Bargarh and Sambalpur.

As many as 429 companies of state police in addition to 156 companies of Central paramilitary forces and three helicopters have been deployed for this phase of polls.