New Delhi, March 16: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has released the election schedule for both the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections across the country, including Odisha.

According to the announcement by Rajiv Kumar, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Odisha will undergo elections in four phases. Polling dates are set for May 13, May 20, May 25, and June 1.

On May 13, voters from 28 Assembly segments will participate in the electoral process, followed by 35 Assembly constituencies on May 20. Similarly, on May 25, voting will take place in 42 Assembly constituencies, and on June 1, polling will be conducted in 42 Assembly seats.

Under the leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the 147-member legislative assembly of the state is currently dominated by the Biju Janata Dal (BJD). Securing an impressive fifth consecutive term in office, the BJD holds 130 seats in the Odisha Legislative Assembly, leaving the rest distributed among the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Indian National Congress (INC), the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPM), and one independent member. The tenure of the Odisha Assembly is set to conclude on June 2.

Besides Odisha, simultaneous Assembly elections will also occur in Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Haryana, and Maharashtra.

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