Dikhyaa Mohanty 
In an effort to promote fairness and level the playing field, the Election Commission of India (ECI) stated on Tuesday that it will send a Special Observer to Odisha. The ECI acknowledges the difficulties presented by the impact of money, power, and disinformation. The Special Observers who have been appointed are ex-public servants who have demonstrated exceptional domain expertise and election process experience. On March 28, 2024, at the Nirvachan Sadan in New Delhi, a briefing was presided over by Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar and attended by Election Commissioners Gyanesh Kumar and Sukhbir Singh Sandhu.
The vital responsibility of overseeing the randomization of workers, security forces, and voting machines has been placed in the hands of the Special Observers (Police and General), who will work to foil any attempts to undermine democracy and fair competition. In Odisha, a Special Expenditure Observer has also been placed. The Commission is also concerned about the threat of money power and the spread of illicit alcohol and freebies. General Special Observer Yogendra Tripathi, IAS (Retd.) and Police Special Observer Rajnikant Mishra, IPS (Retd.) are the two officers stationed in Odisha.
