The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Tuesday started the process for selection of candidates for the urban local body (ULB) election with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik constituting committees for 15 organisational districts.
The committees will suggest names of candidates for the ULBs under their jurisdiction and send the list to the party president. The committees will not, however, announce the name of any candidate nor assure any one of a ticket. Senior leaders have also been barred from giving any assurance of ticket to any aspirant. The committees have been asked to recommend names of at least three aspirants for a ward.
The district observers appointed by Naveen will assist the district committees in preparation of probable list of candidates. Majority of the observers have already submitted their reports and selection of candidates will be completed by August 20, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kalpataru Das said.
The organisational districts where committees have been formed include Balangir, Bargarh, Nuapada, Kalahandi, Bhadrak, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kandhamal, Boudh, Deogarh, Mayurbhanj, Subarnapur, Nabarangpur, Sundargarh and Rourkela.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister also approved expansion of the Biju Yuva Janata Dal (BYJD) state committee with the inclusion one vice-president, five general secretaries, 13 secretaries and four organisational secretaries. Besides, BYJD presidents of 12 districts were appointed. The names were announced by BYJD president Sanjay Kumar Dasburma.