Counting of votes for the by-poll to Padampur assembly seat in Odisha's Bargarh district is underway on Thursday amid tight security arrangements, an official said.
A high turnout of 81.29 per cent was recorded in Padamppur during the by-election held on Monday.
Counting began at 8 AM at the RMC Yard near the Padampur sub-collector's office.
There were 10 candidates in the fray including ruling BJD's Barsha Singh Bariha, the daughter of late MLA Bijay Ranjan Singh Bariha, whose death necessitated the by-poll.
The BJP has fielded former legislator and party's Krushak Morcha president Pradip Purohit as its candidate while three-time MLA Satya Bhusan Sahu is the Congress candidate.
Chief Electoral Officer S K Lohani said tight security arrangements are in place with deployment of around three companies of central paramilitary force in the inner cordon and state armed police in the outer area.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
Featured Video Of The Day
7 Dead, Many Critical In Huge Jaipur Fire As 2 Trucks Collide Outside Petrol Pump
Snakebites, Natural Disasters Claimed 10,300 Lives in Odisha In 3 Years: Minister Man, 40, Gets 20 Year Jail Term For Raping 5-Year-Old Girl In Odisha Bihar Couple Sell Daughter, 4, For Rs 40,000 In Odisha, 6 Arrested: Cops 2 Dead, 60 Injured In German Christmas Market Car Attack, Saudi Man Arrested Hardeep Puri vs Shashi Tharoor Over 2009 Dinner With George Soros In US Video: Bird's-Eye View Of Devastation After Jaipur Accident That Killed 12 Gaza Rescuers Say 7 Children From One Family Killed In Israeli Strike 2 Dead, 60 Injured In German Christmas Market Car Attack, Saudi Man Arrested Volkswagen To Cut 35,000 Jobs In Germany By 2030 Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.