BHUBANESWAR: Failing to field candidates in nearly 30 per cent wards, the Congress has now launched an exercise to reach out to Left and Independent candidates to extend support to them against ruling BJD and BJP in some of the wards in the urban elections to the State Capital.
After scrutiny of nomination papers filed for urban polls to Bhubaneswar on Wednesday, State Election Commission officials said that BJD and BJP have fielded candidates in all 67 wards, while Congress has named candidates in 48 wards.
The party, which has already faced a debacle in the panchayat elections, is now looking to forge alliance with left parties or extend support to Independents against BJD and BJP.Around 70 Independents and a few CPM and other Left party candidates are in fray for the urban polls in Bhubaneswar.
A Congress leader from the Bhubaneswar district unit said that the party has decided to back Independents in some of the wards where it has not been able to field anyone. He informed that the party’s decision to tie-up with one of the Left parties failed during filing of nomination papers as the latter asked for 15 wards during seat-sharing.
Meanwhile, the BJD and BJP are gearing up for the ballot battle in the city. Both the parties have launched their campaigning for the mayoral candidates.