Nuapada, Nov 11: Voting for the by-election to the Nuapada Assembly seat in Odisha began at 7 am on Tuesday, with tight security measures in place to ensure a smooth process, an official confirmed.

The polling will continue until 5 pm at 311 booths, while voting will conclude earlier, at 4 pm, at 47 sensitive booths, including those in Left Wing Extremist-affected areas. More than 2.53 lakh voters are eligible to cast their votes at 358 polling booths across the constituency.

The by-election has attracted significant attention, with 14 candidates vying for the seat. Among the key contenders are Snehangini Chhuria of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Jay Dholakia from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Ghasiram Majhi of the Indian National Congress, and Ramakanta Hati from the Samajwadi Party.

Election officials are closely monitoring the polling process, particularly in sensitive areas, to ensure voter safety and fairness.