BHUBANESWAR: In the fourth round of the Panchayat polls underway in 163 Zilla Parishad zones spanning across 64 blocks of Odisha, an official said on Tuesday that an average 36 percent voter turnout was observed until 11 a.m.The polls opened at 7:00 a.m. Long lines formed in front of voting booths as voters exercised their right to vote. 

According to the official, polling is taking place in 17,089 booths in 1,254 Gram Panchayats across 27 districts in the state. Meanwhile, an elderly woman died while waiting to vote outside a booth in the Balasore district's Nilgiri block. 

The Odisha police have beefed up security after violence was reported during the first three phases of the Panchayat voting. For the fourth phase of the election, the police have deployed 257 platoons and 1,473 mobile patrolling parties, as well as district police officers.

Tamil Nadu: Counting of votes for urban local bodies underway

Odisha 3rd phase of panchayat elections, 78.6 pc of eligible voters cast ballots

Manipur pre-poll violence: NPP candidate's father is shot while campaigning