Naveen Patnaik casts his vote, 12% polling reported

BHUBANESWAR: Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was among the early voters to exercise their franchise on Thursday even as 12 per cent polling was reported in the state by 9 am in the second phase of Lok Sabha and Assembly polls.

Patnaik walked down to the booth in a school in the airport area near his house here under Ekamra assembly segment and Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha constituency and cast his vote.

Prominent leaders who cast their votes in the early hours in the capital city were BJD MP from Bhubaneswar Prasanna Patsani and BJP leader Biswabhushan Harichandan.

Long queues could be seen at polling booths in districts including politically sensitive Kendrapara, Jagatsinghpur, Cuttack, Puri and Jajpur as the voters came out in the morning hours to escape the scorching sun.

As the state was reeling under severe heat wave condition, arrangements for drinking water and sheds were made at polling booths for the convenience of voters.

Polling was in progress in a peaceful manner in 11 Lok Sabha and 77 Assembly constituencies of Orissa where the second and last phase of voting is being held amid tight security.