SAMBALPUR: Altogether 65 candidates have filed their nomination papers for 18 Zilla Parishad (ZP) seats in nine blocks of the district. Candidates of three major political parties, BJD, BJP and Congress, have filed nominations for all the 18 ZP seats while others have filed nominations for 11 ZP seats. Two ZP members will be elected from each block of the district.
The BJD candidates filed their nominations for 15 ZP seats on the final day of nomination on Tuesday. Three candidates had filed nominations for three ZP seats on Monday.
Five BJD candidates for Rengali and Dhankauda blocks besides Maneswar-1 ZP seat came to Sambalpur Sadar Sub-collector’s office here in a rally, led by District BJD president Pramod Rath, Rengali MLA Ramesh Patua and Sambalpur MLA Raseswari Panigrahi along with hundreds of supporters.
While six BJD candidates for six ZP seats in Kuchinda, Bamra and Jamankira blocks of the district filed their nominations in Kuchinda Sub-collector’s office, the rest four candidates for the four ZP seats in Rairakhol and Naktideul blocks filed their nominations in Rairakhol Sub-collector’s office. Similarly, the BJP candidates filed their nominations for four ZP seats in Rairakhol and Naktideul blocks on Tuesday while nominations for 14 ZP seats were filed on Monday.
Besides, a Congress candidate filed nomination for the single Rengali-2 ZP seat on Tuesday while nominations for 17 ZP seats were filed on Monday.
This apart, 740 and 530 and 2,593 candidates have filed nominations for 138 sarpanch, 122 panchayat samiti member and 1,743 ward member posts respectively in the district.
Polling for samiti members of 16 gram panchayats in Rengali block of the district will not be held as per the direction of the High Court.
In Bargarh, as many as 124 candidates have filed nominations for 34 ZP seats in the district. Nominations have been filed for all the 34 ZP seats by BJD, BJP and Congress while others have filed nominations for 22 ZP seats.
In Jharsuguda, total 33 candidates have filed nomination for nine ZP seats in the district.
While nominations for all the nine ZP seats were filed by BJD, BJP and Congress, CPI and Independent candidates have filed nominations for one ZP seat and five ZP seats respectively.
In Deogarh, altogether 24 candidates have filed nominations for seven ZP seats in the district. Nominations were filed by the three major political parties for all the seven ZP seats while CPI (M) and Independent candidates have filed nominations for one ZP seat and two ZP seats respectively.
In Sonepur, total 57 candidates have filed nominations for 13 ZP seats in the district. Nominations have been filed for all the 13 ZP seats by BJD, BJP and Congress while others have filed nominations for 18 ZP seats.