The BJP continued its winning spree in many of the Zilla Parishad (ZP) zones after the second phase panchayat election in the State on Wednesday.
In Rayagada district, BJD lost all the four ZP zones in Bissamcuttack and Muniguda blocks to Congress and BJP. The BJP candidate, Rama Chandra Behera of Munigdua B zone, emerged victorious while three Congress candidates won in Bissamcuttack A,B and Muniguda A zone. Political observers said the highhandedness of BJD district president Sudhir Dash and his followers resulted in the downfall of the BJD in these areas followed by distribution of tickets to candidates having no popularity. In the first phase, Congress had won two ZP seats followed by BJD and BJP, who won one seat each.
Similarly in Malkangiri, the BJP won two seats. These are ZP zone I and II under Korukonda Panchayat Samiti. While Bijaya Kumar Bairagi of BJP won from zone-I by defeating his nearest BJD rival, Satya Panigrahi, BJP candidate Sulata Mondal won from ZP zone-II by defeating Anjalirani Bepari of BJD.
Congress candidate Maina Sagaria won from the ZP zone-I under Khairput block by defeating Mukta Hantal of BJD.
Around 12 ZP zones spread over six blocks of Mayurbhanj went to poll on Wednesday. The BJP won 10 of the ZP zones and the ruling BJD got only one zone and the remaining one went to an Independent candidate. Elections were held in the blocks of Khunta, Gopabandhunagar,Kuliana, Bangriposi, Saraskana and Baripada. The BJP made a clean sweep in Khunta, Gopabandhunagar, Kuliana and Bangriposi blocks by winning both ZP zones 12 and 13 of Khunta, zones 14 and 15 of Gopabandhunagar, eight and nine of Kuliana, and both 27 and 28 zones of Bangiriposi. The zone 30 of Baripada block has gone to the BJD, while zone 56 of Saraskana has been captured by an Independent candidate.
Wednesday’s results also came as a jolt to Minister Sudam Marandi and Deputy Speaker Sananda Marandi, because most of the areas that went to polls in the 2nd phase come under the Assembly constituencies represented by these two BJD leaders. In Keonjhar, Independent candidate Pravakar Sahoo won in zone 3 while, BJP got one seat in zone 30. The ruling BJD, however, won all the six ZP zones in Jajpur district - three in Sukinda block and as many in Danagadi block.
Polling was held at 641 wards of 48 panchayats of Sukinda and Danagadi blocks in the district for which 2,040 polling officials were deployed, said Jajpur Sub-Collector NC Dhal.