JAGATSINGHPUR: The ruling BJD may have bagged 25 of the total 26 zilla parishad (ZP) seats in the district but it is facing a tough task to capture the chairperson posts in Tirtol, Kujang and Naugaon blocks by managing dissident panchayat samiti (PS) member candidates who have emerged winners in the recently-concluded rural polls.
In Naugaon, BJD-backed PS member candidates have won in seven of the total 16 panchayats. Congress won five PS member seats while rebel BJD candidates have emerged victorious in four panchayats. Since BJD is two short of the magic number nine to capture the block chairperson post, all eyes are on the four dissident PS members.
Sources said after being denied BJD tickets, two candidates Chandan Lenka and Sujit Puhan filed nomination for the PS member seats in Bachalo and Deriki panchayats as Independents. The duo was immediately suspended from BJD for going against the party’s decision. However, they emerged victorious in the elections.
Amid reports of the Congress making efforts to seek support of the four dissidents, president of the district BJD Prashant Muduli on Sunday revoked the suspension order of Lenka and Puhan with an eye on the block chairperson election.
Similarly in Tirtol block, BJD-sponsored PS member candidates won from 13 of the total 29 panchayats. Congress emerged victorious in seven panchayats, BJP in four and Independent won from five PS member seats. BJD has named Basant Mohapatra from Kanimula panchayat as its chairperson candidate while Congress has selected PS member of Govindpur Deb Prasad Nayak for the post. However, another BJD leader Manoj Behera from Samantrapur panchayat is also lobbying for the post and is trying to win over the five Independent PS members and defeat Mohapatra.
Of the 28 panchayats in Kujang block, BJD-supported PS members have won from 16 seats. Anticipating poaching from rival camps, the ruling party had shifted all the elected PS members to Balasore. However, two of them have reportedly gone missing. Falling short of one PS member to reach the magic number of 15, the BJD has started to woo the Independent PS members in the block. Election to the block chairperson posts will be held on March 12.