ROURKELA: The Birmitrapur Assembly segment has thrown up an interesting equation for the zilla parishad (ZP) election as all major parties seem to be pitted against Independents backed by tribal leader and Birmitrapur MLA George Tirkey in six ZP constituencies of Sundargarh district.
In the rest three seats of the Panposh sub-division, which comprises the Birmitrapur Assembly constituency, George- supported candidates would further be a decisive factor.
George has fielded nine candidates from Panposh sub-division and seeking common symbol of ‘drum’ as first preference. In the 2007 ZP election in the Assembly segment, the Congress had emerged victorious from the Kuanrmunda (A) and (B), Nuagaon (B) and Bisra (B) constituencies, while JMM bagged the Nuagaon (A) seat and the BJD won the Bisra (A) constituency in alliance with BJP.
Panposh organisational unit president of BJP Dhiren Senapati was candid in admitting that BJP’s main rival would be George followed by Congress, JMM and BJD.
Rourkela unit BJD president AC Mohanty, however, said in some ZP seats George and JMM would be BJD’s main target, adding in other seats the fight would be against the Congress and BJP.
Outgoing Sundargarh ZP chairperson Serofina Topno of Congress viewed while a multi-pronged fight is on the cards the Congress would have direct contest with Independent candidates of George in the Assembly segment.
George asserted that his Assembly constituency would throw up surprises. In three other ZP seats of the Panposh sub-division, BJP won in the Lathikata (A), Congress in Lathikata (B) and BJD in Lathikata (C). However, the scenario has changed currently as the BJD and BJP are going it alone. Unlike in 2007 the Congress and JMM are also estranged. Independent candidates in these three seats would also upset the prospects of the main players.