BERHAMPUR: Ganjam, one of the politically most active districts, is witnessing a fierce battle for the panchayat polls. All three major parties are facing challenges in fielding the right candidate and there is serious dissidence all across.
Most outfits are trying out young blood which has not gone down well with their seasoned leaders. The dissidents are choosing to contest as independents posing discomfort in the camps. Since such aspirants have their own vote base, they may create problems for their respective parties. Moreover, as there is no need for party letters, many have filed nominations for ward and panchayat samiti member at more than one seat banking on the local leaders of the three political parties.
The ruling BJD which had recorded a landslide victory last time too is grappling with the situation. Many women candidates who had won in the 2017 polls have been denied the opportunity to contest by the party this time. Though fearing action by the party several aspirants have not registered their protest, it is feared they may not work with the candidates in the race.
In 2017, the BJD had grabbed 64 of the 69 zilla parishad seats but the party may lose some seats this time, feel political analysts. BJD district president Dr Ramesh Chandra Chyau Patnaik said the party’s MLAs are distributing the tickets to the nominated candidates in their respective areas after consulting senior leaders and exuded confidence of a remarkable victory in the polls.
After the party’s Gopalpur MLA Pradeep Panigrahy was expelled, the BJD has been working doubly hard in the assembly segment. Steel and Mines Minister Prafulla Mallick, appointed the district observer for the panchayat polls, has been active on the field. Similarly, Gopabandhu Das, political secretary of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was made in charge of polls in Gopalpur.
Apart from MLAs and MPs, BJD’s ministers and State leaders have been visiting the district frequently to strengthen their base. Except for Sanakhemundi, BJD had won all the 11 Assembly segments in the district. Bhubaneswar (Central) MLA Ananta Narayan Jena has been appointed as a special observer for Sanakhemundi. The party has a fairly strong base in Gopalpur and in Sanakhemundi. Still, its leaders are leaving nothing to chance to repeat its past performance in the upcoming rural polls.
Meanwhile, after scrutiny, while 11,352 aspirants are in the fray for 7,099 ward member posts, 2,163 aspirants will be in the race for 503 sarpanch posts in the district. Similarly, 1,819 aspirants will vie for 503 panchayat samiti member and 276 contenders for 69 zilla parishad member posts.