JAGATSINGHPUR: With barely few days left for the panchayat polls, BJD candidates contesting for various posts are leaving no stone unturned to woo voters in various panchayats of Jagatsinghpur district. From mobile recharge to prize announcement to wards in lieu of support and resolution to bridge intra-party rift - they are adopting all possible novel means to garner votes.
Many candidates have also been rampantly using social media platforms like Facebook and WhatsApp to appeal to young voters and overcome the trust deficit. In blocks like Raghunathpur, Tirtol and Balikuda, where internal rift within the ruling BJD is most prominent, party candidates are recharging mobile vouchers of voters for two months, donating bats and balls to cricket teams in rural areas and announcing cash rewards to different wards if they win. Due to intra-party conflict, the BJD has two factions in these blocks. This is adding to the competition as rebel candidates are vying for votes even within the same party.
For instance, local MLA Bijay Sankar Das has fielded party candidates in different panchayats but rebel BJD candidates are pitting against them. However on Sunday, BJD workers held a meeting at Jaipur under Raghunathpur block to bring unity among the two rival groups of the party in Eradanga and other panchayats. MLA Das pressed local BJD leader-cum-former chairman of Raghunathpur block Rajat Patra to bridge the rift among the candidates and ensure overall victory of the party.
Sources said Patra announced Rs 10,000-Rs 30,000 cash award to each ward if BJD candidates get more votes than opposition party candidates. Later, candidates along with their party rivals took oath in the name of Baba Gorakhanath of Kerekera village to ensure poll victory. As many as 791 contestants are in fray for 198 sarpanch seats while 658 are contesting for 198 panchayat samiti member posts and 103 for 26 Zilla Parishad seats in Jagatsinghpur district.