The three-tier panchayat polls in Odisha has thrown up a fascinating scene in countryside landscape with contestants adopting innovative ways and means to catch voters’ attention and canter to victory even as the State Election Commission (SEC) has clamped prohibition on road shows and large public gatherings in view of the ongoing health crisis.

As the canvassing for the rural polls, scheduled to be held in five phases from 16 February, is slowly reaching feverish pitch, the candidates invariably in all parts of the State have turned to novel tactics to woo electorates by carrying their real-life ‘poll symbols’. Only Zilla Parishad members contest the panchayat elections with party symbols in Odisha with the rest right from ward member to panchayat samiti member contesting as independents on symbols allotted to them by SEC.

As the unique mode of campaigning adds colour to the polls, a candidate in Kendrapara district could be seen serving tea with a kettle, his poll symbol, during the campaign.

While a Sarpanch candidate, Bhagabati Bhotra carries a live fish, her election symbol, while going on a door-to-door campaign in Patri panchayat in Nabarangpur district, similar mode of campaigning has come to light in Kendrapara, Jajpur, Puri and Jagatsinghpur district.

To create bonding with voters and to motivate them to vote for her, Anjana Behera, a Sarpanch candidate in Kendrapara district, knocks at the doors with Bhagwat Gita in hand. The election authorities have allotted her ‘open book’ as a poll symbol.

Independent candidates in several parts of the State are also being seen seeking votes carrying lanterns- their party symbol.

Besides carrying the poll symbols, the contestants are also adopting other innovative modes of canvassing to woo voters.

Nagendra Kumar Singha, a 54-year-old Ayurvedic doctor is trying out his electoral luck in Sarpanch post in Nabra panchayat in Balasore district. During the campaign trail, he applied his professional expertise to entice the electorates. He looks after the health issues, prescribing medicines for people while undertaking the campaigning on a bicycle.

A young woman candidate Rojalin Behera, contesting for the post of sarpanch in Moulabhanja panchayat under Sanakhemundi block in Ganjam district, has found altogether a different method to seek voters. She claims to be an animal welfare activist and she is flanked by three pet dogs always during door-to-door campaigning.

A Sarpanch aspirant- Sushil Kumar Guru -from Chingiria gram panchayat under Khaprakhol block in Bolangir district is seen shouldering a plough while moving door to door to seek votes. Guru appeals people to vote for him and promises to develop an irrigation network in the area, which is often drought-affected.

Elections to three-tier Panchayati Raj institutions are scheduled to be held between 16 February and 24 February in Odisha. Around 33% of the total candidates have already been declared elected uncontested before the casting of a single ballot.