Campaign ends for 3rd phase of LS polls in Odisha

The high voltage campaign for the third phase of Lok Sabha and Assembly elections in Odisha concluded on Sunday.

Six Lok Sabha constituencies -- Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri, Sambalpur, Keonjhar and Dhenkanal -- will go to the polls along with the 42 Assembly segments in their jurisdiction on Tuesday.

Several heavyweights of the three major political parties -- the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) -- attended public meetings and roadshows in the six constituencies ahead of the third phase of polling.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP President Amit Shah and several Union Ministers, including Rajnath Singh, Uma Bharti, Nitin Gadkari and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, have campaigned for the saffron party in the third phase.

On Sunday, Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal campaigned in Puri and Cuttack Lok Sabha constituencies for the BJP candidates from there.

"It is almost impossible to execute railway projects in Odisha due to the state government's non-cooperation in land acquisition. Besides, we are facing hindrance in the coal sector as well. The BJD government has pushed the state into backwardness. The time has come for a BJP government to accelerate growth in Odisha," said Goyal.

BJD President and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday hit the campaign trail in the Sambalpur Lok Sabha constituency.

The Chief Minister said that regional parties will play a key role in the formation of the next government at the Centre.

"No national party will get a majority in the elections and the regional parties will be the kingmakers. This is a great opportunity for both Odisha and the BJD," said Patnaik.

A total of 92.65 lakh voters, including 47.99 lakh men, 44.56 lakh women and 1,163 belonging to the 'other' gender, will decide the fate of 61 Lok Sabha and 356 Assembly candidates in 10,464 booths on Tuesday.IANS