KENDRAPARA: As civic polls are less than a month away, the race for the municipality chairperson post has already begun in Kendrapara as leaders from major political parties are trying to key in their kin to contest.
As per reports, family members of political leaders from the BJD, Congress and BJP are already making rounds to the state capital to meet respective high commands for tickets to fight the polls. Since there is palpable confidence among BJD leaders due to its latest victory in rural polls and also as it has a stronghold in the coastal district, the process of selection of candidates has gained momentum. In the last civic elections in 2016, BJD’s Dhiren Kumar Sahoo had been elected as the chairperson.
President of the district unit of BJD Utkal Keshari Parida said the ruling party seems to be gaining both strength and momentum as the polling date draws nearer.” Of all the major political parties in the picture for the upcoming urban polls, BJD inarguably is the party to win. Many are knocking the doors of senior party leaders and MLAs for tickets,” he said.
Senior BJD leader and former chairman of Kendrapara municipality Dhiren Kumar Sahoo also shared similar views and said,” BJD will win the post of the chairperson and councilors in all the 21 wards as the state government carried out many developmental works in urban areas. Congress and BJP have no base in the district.”
On the other hand, opposition parties have dismissed the ruling party’s optimism alleging corruption and tardy progress of various developmental projects.
“The BJD’s hold in urban areas has slackened mainly due to anti-people policies of the government. The party’s claim of winning all seats is imaginary. People will vote for the Congress in this election,” said former Rajnagar MLA and president of the district unit of Congress Ansuman Mohanty.
The BJP too ruled out the winning aspirations of the BJD. President of the district unit of BJP, Kishor Panda said people are fed up with the state government. “The BJD-led Kendrapara municipality is corrupt and inefficient and our party is highlighting the civic body’s slipshod attitude towards the welfare of the people. We will announce the names of our candidates soon,” he stated.
The 153-year-old civic body has 21 wards. As many as 36,548 voters of Kendrapara municipality will elect 21 councillors and chairpersons in the coming civic poll.