Odisha

BJD has decided not to take part in the 12-hour Odisha bandh called by INDIA bloc parties on 8 October. The shutdown is against the new mining law, errors in school textbooks and the Special Intensive Revision or SIR of electoral rolls.

Senior BJD leader and Opposition Chief Whip Pramila Mallik said the party will stay away from both the BJP-led NDA and the Congress-led Opposition. She made it clear that BJD is not part of any bloc and will not back any programme of any group. Honestly, the flip-flop was quick. Mallik first backed the bandh in the morning, then retracted the statement within hours.

BJD stays neutral while Opposition pushes for bandh

Her stand came a day after BJD MPs joined an Opposition march in New Delhi seeking the resignation of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over alleged irregularities in the SIR process. Mallik said Naveen Patnaik has asked for action against the CEC for allegedly misleading voters and youth and mishandling the voter list. The MPs joined the rally, she added, but the party has joined no political alliance.

Nine INDIA bloc parties, including Congress, CPI, CPI(M), CPI(ML) Liberation, Forward Bloc, NCP (Sharad Pawar), Samajwadi Party, RJD and JMM, held a meeting in Bhubaneswar and appealed to people to take part. They also took a pledge to protect Article 326 of the Constitution, which guarantees elections on the basis of adult suffrage. Hospitals, ambulances, fire services, medicine shops and milk supply will stay exempt from the bandh.

Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal said the bandh will have no impact on daily life. The state government has told district collectors and superintendents of police to maintain law and order during the shutdown.

Chief Electoral Officer of Odisha has started a state-wide voter enrolment drive. It runs from October 7 to October 9, 2026. Three days only.

The drive has two clear goals. First, to bring back eligible voters who were left out of the electoral roll during the recent Special Intensive Revision (SIR) 2026. Second, to register young citizens who turned 18 on or before October 1, 2026. This window matters a lot for first-time voters who missed the earlier round.

How to register

New voters should submit Form-6 to their local Booth Level Officer (BLO) for immediate registration. BLOs are already going door to door across the state. They are verifying names and helping people with documents on the spot.

Every entry collected in the field goes through district-level checking by Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs). This keeps the final list clean and reliable. Booth-level agents of political parties are also helping spread the word.

What to do now: Do not wait for the last day. Check your name in the current voter list right away. If your name is missing, or if you have just become eligible, contact your BLO before October 9. The deadline is tight. The state wants a fully updated roll by the end of this drive.

Left off Odisha's voter list? Electoral authorities in Odisha are running a special registration drive from October 7 to October 9 to help eligible citizens get back on the state's voter rolls.

The drive comes after the recent Special Summary Revision (SIR) pushed the voter count down from roughly 3.33 crore to about 3.16 crore registered electors. That drop raised many concerns.

If your name was removed during the SIR, or if you turned 18 on or before October 1, you can submit a Form-6 application to your designated Booth Level Officer (BLO) during this three-day window.

Public inspection portals are also being set up so citizens can check lists of people marked as dead, relocated, absent, or duplicate. If any valid elector was wrongly removed, residents can file formal claims or objections. Recognised political parties can also review these records and challenge suspect omissions.

What election officials are saying

Election officials say the drive aims to keep the voter rolls accurate and clear. Every eligible citizen should use this chance to fix their status before the window closes.

CEO Odisha has announced a three-day special drive from October 7 to 9 to include eligible left-out voters in the updated electoral roll.

Over 20 lakh names were deleted from the draft roll and another 44,000 removed from the final roll during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR). If your name was left out by mistake, this is your chance to fix it.

Eligible voters who missed out during the SIR process can now file claims and objections for inclusion. All you need to do is approach your local booth-level officer (BLO) and submit Form-6.

Young citizens who turned 18 as of October 1, 2026 are also eligible to register as new voters during this drive.

Deputy CEO Laxmi Prasad Sahu said the drive will run till the end of October, with special campaign activity across districts on October 7, 8 and 9 to reach more people.

How to Check Your Name

The list of absent, shifted, dead and duplicate voters is available on the official CEO Odisha portal and respective district websites. Citizens and political parties can verify these records and raise objections if any eligible voter has been wrongly excluded.

EC officials have trained all BLOs to handle applications smoothly and help voters throughout the process.

Odisha State Election Commission has started preparations for 2027 Panchayat and Urban Local Body Elections. The first big step is a house-to-house voter survey starting October 26.

A meeting with recognised political parties was held at the SEC office conference hall in Bhubaneswar on Tuesday, chaired by State Election Commissioner Madhusudan Padhi. Parties shared their views on how electoral rolls should be prepared and revised.

The survey will check voter details, add eligible names, remove ineligible or shifted or deceased entries, and fix mistakes. Simply put, your voter entry gets checked at your doorstep.

Parties have been asked to appoint Booth-Level Agents (BLAs) at every polling station in the state and submit their details by October 15. In rural areas, details go to the Block Development Officer. In NACs and Municipalities, they go to the Executive Officer. In Municipal Corporations, they go to the Deputy Commissioner or Assistant Commissioner concerned.

Padhi called an accurate electoral roll the foundation of a good election system and stressed clear, fair processes and people involved at every stage.

What voters should do

The real test will be voter cooperation during the survey. Keep your ID proof and details ready when the team knocks. The Commission has asked everyone to stay alert so no eligible voter is missed and no ineligible name slips in.

Odisha State Election Commission has started work on the 2027 Panchayat and Urban Local Body elections. State Election Commissioner Madhusudan Padhi led a key all-party meeting at the SEC office in Bhubaneswar on October 6, 2026.

The focus of the meeting was clear: preparing an accurate voter roll. Representatives from all recognized political parties attended. They shared feedback, suggestions, and practical concerns.

Door-to-door survey starts October 26.

Commissioner Padhi asked all political parties to appoint Booth Level Agents (BLAs) at every polling station. This will help during the field work. Parties need to submit their BLA details to the Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) by October 15, 2026. In rural areas, these are the Block Development Officers (BDOs). In Municipalities and NACs, it is the Executive Officers. In Municipal Corporations, it is the Deputy or Assistant Commissioners.

"A clean and clear voter list is the base of a fair election," said Commissioner Padhi. He asked for active support from all political parties, local administration, and voters to keep the voter database in good shape.

Political leaders assured the Commission of their full support. SEC Secretary Santosh Kumar Dash, Deputy Secretary Durga Charan Murmu, and key leaders from major political parties attended the meeting.

If you are a voter in Odisha, survey teams may visit your home soon. Keep your ID documents ready and help the officials check your details.

Bhubaneswar is leading a major voter list cleanup drive. A special three-day campaign starts on October 7 across Odisha to fix gaps created during Special Intensive Revision (SIR)-2026.

The campaign runs from October 7 to 9. Its main job is simple. Bring back eligible voters who were accidentally left out of the final voter list. Also, register all newly eligible young citizens who turned 18 by 1 October 2026.

Young men and women can submit Form-6 through their Booth Level Officer (BLO) to get added to the electoral roll. It is that straightforward. Eligible voters missing from the SIR-2026 final list get a fresh chance too.

The list of deceased, transferred, absent and duplicate voters identified during SIR will be put up on the websites of the concerned district authorities and CEO Odisha. Anyone wrongly left out can file claims and objections. Recognised political parties will also receive the list for cross-checking.

Get in touch with your BLO early

All BLOs at district level have been trained well. They are ready to guide and support voters during these three days. The advice is simple. Do not wait. Contact your BLO right away if your name is missing or if you have recently turned 18.

Chief Electoral Officer's office has urged every eligible person in Odisha to use this window and apply through Form-6 before October 9 ends.

Bhubaneswar: State Election Commission met with political parties on 6 October 2026. The goal was to prepare a clean voter list for the Panchayat and Urban Elections 2027. State Election Commissioner Madhusudan Padhi chaired the meeting.

Voter list survey and BLA data submission

House-to-house survey starts on 26 October. Teams will add eligible voters to the list. They will also remove names of deceased and transferred persons and fix any mistakes.

Parties need to deploy Booth Level Agents at every polling station. BLA data must be submitted by 15 October. In rural areas, the data goes to the Assistant Electoral Registration Officer and BDO. In urban areas, it goes to the Executive Officer of NAC or Municipality. In corporations, it goes to the Deputy Commissioner or Assistant Commissioner.

Padhi said an accurate voter list is the foundation of a fair election. Parties shared suggestions and assured full cooperation in the survey.

Odisha State Election Commission (SEC) started a training programme on Sunday for block and district-level officials. The aim is to build clean, complete voter rolls for panchayat and urban local body elections next year.

State Election Commissioner Madhusudan Padhi led the session. He said no eligible voter should be missed during the door-to-door survey. He also pointed out that an accurate voter list is what makes a free and fair election possible.

Officials need to finish the revision work on time. They also need to spread the word about the draft roll publication. Special camps will run in tribal areas, remote villages, urban slums and educational institutions to help more people register.

Groups That Need Special Attention

Padhi focused on people who often get left out of the process:

• Eligible women voters
• Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)
• People with disabilities
• Migrant workers

Technology will handle the main tasks. This includes door-to-door checks, polling station updates, removing duplicate and dead voters, and fixing wrong details. The training also covered the SAMS portal, GIS mapping of polling stations, and the process for handling claims and objections.

Here are the important dates for every Odisha voter:

• Door-to-door survey: October 26 to November 7, 2026
• Cut-off date for new voters: January 1, 2027
• Draft voter list publication: January 1, 2027
• Final voter list publication: February 10, 2027

The training was held online. Additional district magistrates, block development officers and district panchayat officers from all 30 districts attended. Master trainers will run block-wise sessions at district level in the coming week.

Source: Odisha State Election Commission

Odisha State Election Commission is fully prepared for the upcoming elections. A state-level training was held to get district and block officers ready for the 2027 Panchayati Raj Institution and Urban Local Body polls.

Election Prep Underway

State Election Commissioner Madhusudan Padhi chaired the meeting. The main focus was a big house-to-house verification drive. The goal is simple: make sure no eligible citizen is missing from the voter list. SEC Secretary Santosh Kumar Das kicked off the session.

Officials from every district were there. This included Additional District Magistrates, Sub-Collectors, District Panchayat Officers, Assistant and Deputy Commissioners, Executive Officers, Block Development Officers, and BLO Supervisors.

• Director of Municipal Administration Arindam Dakua explained the urban survey process.
• Joint Secretary Surya Narayan Dash covered how rural polls will be run.

Practical field tips came from Bhubaneswar Sub-Collector Manoranjan Sahoo, Balipatna Block GPDO Haraprasad Mohanty, and BLO Supervisor Sudhakar Behera. They shared what they learned from pilot surveys.

Commissioner Padhi stressed three things. Accuracy, clear systems, and responsibility come first at every stage.

Mistakes in names, addresses, and other details will be fixed. People who are not eligible or have moved will be handled as per election rules.

Key dates to remember:

• Statewide door-to-door survey: October 26 to November 7
• Cut-off date for new voters: January 1, 2027
• Draft voter list publication: January 1, 2027
• Final voter list publication: February 10, 2027

Officers must link houses, house numbers, voters, and Assembly Constituency part and serial numbers accurately. Each voter will be tagged to their actual home. Cross-referencing will remove duplicates. Claims and objections can be filed directly with Electoral Registration Officers within the given timeframe.

Odisha Chief Electoral Officer R.S. Gopalan has applied for voluntary retirement from government service, reportedly citing health issues and personal reasons.

He is a 2001-batch Odisha cadre IAS officer originally from Tamil Nadu. Gopalan has served as Odisha's Chief Electoral Officer for nearly two years. He also holds additional charge as Secretary of the Excise Department.

Why the Timing Surprised People

Gopalan was set to retire in July 2028. His decision to seek VRS with about one-and-a-half years of service left has surprised many people.

His application came shortly after the completion of the Special Summary Revision of electoral rolls in Odisha, which he supervised directly. The state government is expected to decide on his voluntary retirement application in due course.

Odisha State Election Commission has started training its officials ahead of the 2027 panchayat and urban local body elections. The training programme was held at Bhubaneswar, chaired by State Election Commissioner Madhusudan Padhi.

The goal is simple. Make voter lists accurate through door-to-door surveys across the state. Officers got training on electoral preparations, voter list revision, field-level surveys and election management. Padhi stressed that accuracy and clear processes must come first at every stage.

What officers were told to focus on

Officers were asked to make sure no eligible voter is left out. Errors in names, addresses and other details need to be fixed quickly. House-to-house verification is the key method being used.

SEC Secretary Santosh Kumar Das gave the welcome address. Several officials then spoke about different parts of the process:

• Municipal Director Arindam Dakua covered surveys for municipal elections.
• Joint Secretary Surya Narayan Dash covered panchayat election aspects.
• Bhubaneswar Deputy Collector Minoranja Sahu and BLO Supervisor Sudhakar Behera shared experiences from pilot surveys.

A question-answer session helped officers clear their doubts about the whole process.