Bhubaneswar, May 23: The campaigning for the third phase of polling in Odisha ended on Thursday evening.

Polling for six Parliamentary constituencies -- Sambalpur, Keonjhar, Dhenkanal, Cuttack, Puri and Bhubaneswar -- and 42 Assembly seats will be held simultaneously on May 25.

Senior leaders and star campaigners of major parties today held public meetings and roadshows in support of their respective candidates for the third phase of elections in the state.

Union Home Minister and BJP Lok Sabha candidate from Sambalpur, Dharmendra Pradhan held a roadshow in Deogarh and sought "blessings" of voters. He was accompanied by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and party's MLA candidate Subash Panigrahi in the roadshow.

Pradhan also addressed an election rally at Rengali assembly segment.

Senior BJP leader and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath today addressed two public meetings – at Banapur in Puri and Mahanga in Cuttack district.

BJP’s President J P Nadda today addressed four election meetings at Karanjia in the Mayurbhanj district, Dhamnagar in the Bhadrak district, Barchana in the Jajpur district and Balikuda in the Jagatsinghpur district.

On the other hand, BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik held a roadshow in Bhubaneswar. Similarly, BJD star campaigner VK Pandian addressed election meetings in Jagatsinghpur district.

Senior Congress leaders also held public meetings and roadshows in support of their party candidates.
More than 94.48 lakh electors are expected to exercise their franchise in the third phase of polling in the state on Saturday, informed Odisha Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Nikunja Bihari Dhal.

A total of 64 candidates are in the fray for the six Lok Sabha seats while 383 candidates are contesting in 42 Assembly segments.

The Election Commission of India has deployed 121 companies of Central Armed Police Forces for the third phase of polling in the state.

Over 70,000 polling staff will be deployed on Saturday, Dhal said. 

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