Test First, Vote Later: Candidates Take Exam Before Odisha Sarpanch Polls

All the nine aspirants were invited to a public meeting at a local school campus on Thursday, where they were told about the tests.

Days ahead of the three-tier panchayat polls in Odisha, residents of a tribal-dominated village in Sundergarh district reportedly organised "oral and written entrance tests" for all the sarpanch candidates to boost their confidence.

The contestants said the exercise was conducted by the villagers of Malupada under Kutra Gram Panchayat in the district, where polling is scheduled to be held in the second phase on February 18.

All the nine aspirants were invited to a public meeting at a local school campus on Thursday, where they were told about the tests, a sarpanch candidate said.

Eight contestants for the sarpanch post turned up at the meeting and sat for the "entrance examination" that continued till 8 pm, he said.