BJD to review poor show in strongholds

Bhubaneswar: Despite sweeping the urban polls, BJD seems to be concerned about the party’s dismal show in some of its strongholds and is likely to review its urban poll performance vis-à-vis other parties in different districts to prepare the course of action ahead of the 2024 general election.
BJD’s performance in the largest populous district of Ganjam, the home turf of chief minister Naveen Patnaik, and the increase in the vote share of opposition BJP there are believed to be main causes for concern for the ruling dispensation.
The governing BJD had formed councils in 15 out of the 18 civic bodies in the district in 2013-14, while this time its candidates for the posts of chairpersons have won only in 12 ULBs. The BJP, which had won only one civic body last time, has bagged the chairpersons’ post in three civic bodies there— Chhatrapur, Rambha and Kodala. The independent candidates have become chairpersons in two places, while Congress has bagged one NAC chief post.
Though the ruling party has won the Berhampur Municipal Corporation, the BJP’s mayoral candidate there got a substantial 45,782 votes compared to 66,068 votes bagged by BJD.
The ruling BJD has faced a blow in Bhadrak municipality chairperson’s election, another stronghold of the party. In Bhadrak, BJD’s rebel candidate, Gulmaki Dalwazi Habib, who contested as an independent, defeated the ruling party nominee by more than 3,256 votes. The BJD also failed to win the chairperson’s post in Jagatsinghpur municipality, another of its many bastions.
While the ruling party reaped dividends from its continuous focus on western Odisha, a traditional BJP bastion, during the panchayat polls, it failed to repeat the performance in the urban polls with BJD chairperson candidates in several civic bodies in the western districts facing defeat.
BJD chairperson candidates have faced defeat even on the turfs of several senior BJD leaders including Dibya Shankar Mishra, Naba Das, Rohit Pujari, Tukuni Sahu, Rajendra Dholkia and Susanta Singh.
Party insiders said the infighting over candidate selection and presence of rebel candidates in the fray are some of the reasons behind the BJD’s defeat in a few pockets.
“Since the local body polls are fought on local issues, the results do not reflect the anger against the party,” a senior BJD leader said.
Bhubaneswar: Despite sweeping the urban polls, BJD seems to be concerned about the party’s dismal show in some of its strongholds and is likely to review its urban poll performance vis-à-vis other parties in different districts to prepare the course of action ahead of the 2024 general election.
BJD’s performance in the largest populous district of Ganjam, the home turf of chief minister Naveen Patnaik, and the increase in the vote share of opposition BJP there are believed to be main causes for concern for the ruling dispensation.
The governing BJD had formed councils in 15 out of the 18 civic bodies in the district in 2013-14, while this time its candidates for the posts of chairpersons have won only in 12 ULBs. The BJP, which had won only one civic body last time, has bagged the chairpersons’ post in three civic bodies there— Chhatrapur, Rambha and Kodala. The independent candidates have become chairpersons in two places, while Congress has bagged one NAC chief post.
Though the ruling party has won the Berhampur Municipal Corporation, the BJP’s mayoral candidate there got a substantial 45,782 votes compared to 66,068 votes bagged by BJD.
The ruling BJD has faced a blow in Bhadrak municipality chairperson’s election, another stronghold of the party. In Bhadrak, BJD’s rebel candidate, Gulmaki Dalwazi Habib, who contested as an independent, defeated the ruling party nominee by more than 3,256 votes. The BJD also failed to win the chairperson’s post in Jagatsinghpur municipality, another of its many bastions.
While the ruling party reaped dividends from its continuous focus on western Odisha, a traditional BJP bastion, during the panchayat polls, it failed to repeat the performance in the urban polls with BJD chairperson candidates in several civic bodies in the western districts facing defeat.
BJD chairperson candidates have faced defeat even on the turfs of several senior BJD leaders including Dibya Shankar Mishra, Naba Das, Rohit Pujari, Tukuni Sahu, Rajendra Dholkia and Susanta Singh.
Party insiders said the infighting over candidate selection and presence of rebel candidates in the fray are some of the reasons behind the BJD’s defeat in a few pockets.
“Since the local body polls are fought on local issues, the results do not reflect the anger against the party,” a senior BJD leader said.