Urban local body elections: warning bells for BJD

PRAFULLA DAS

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Party fails to secure majority in ULBs coming under Assembly segments of Ministers

Despite the ruling Biju Janata Dal headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik performing well by securing majority in over 40 of 66 urban local bodies in the State where polls were held on Thursday, the outcome of the polls had sounded warning bells for the regional party.

The failure of the BJD in securing a majority in many urban local bodies that came under the Assembly segments of its Ministers and senior leaders had come as a clear indication that anti-incumbency factor had finally started working against the Naveen Patnaik Government.

The party won the polls in 40-odd ULBs despite the fact that it had 60-odd legislators in the regions where elections were held. Its prominent strongholds where the BJD lost include Angul, Nayagarh, Basudevpur, Athamallik, Pipili and Jagatsinghpur.

A BJD leader said though they had achieved good results in the polls they had to start working seriously to overcome the anti-incumbency factor and restore its popularity among the urban voters before the next year's Assembly elections.

The BJP, the BJD's one-time ally in the State, too suffered the most in the civic polls despite banking heavily on the party's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.

The BJP leaders highlighted the emergence of Mr. Modi as their Prime Ministerial candidate to woo the voters in all the urban local bodies where their party had fielded candidates.

The saffron party which had formed councils in 11 of the 66 urban local bodies in 2008, ended up in winning only 47 of the 1,147 wards under the 66 where elections were held. The BJP was a partner of the BJD in the State government in 2008.

The main opposition Congress had managed to do better than the 2008 urban polls in terms of percentage of votes and had also won majority in several BJD strongholds.

Congress, however, failed to take more benefit of the existing anti-incumbency factor against the BJD government primarily due to infighting within the party.

Meanwhile, many of the BJD candidates who won the polls in different ULBs came and met the Chief Minister at his residence and celebrated their victory.

Talking to presspersons, Mr. Patnaik thanked the people for voting in favour of the BJD nominees.

He also thanked the party leaders who worked hard to help the party emerge victorious.

On the other hand, the Congress started review of the factors that resulted in their not-so impressive performance and the BJP began discussions on the reasons that contributed towards its debacle in the polls.

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Congress fails to benefit from

infighting in the BJD

BJP begins discussions on its poll debacle

BJD bags 41 out of 66 urban local bodies

PRAFULLA DAS

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Congress wins 10, Independents 2; BJP fails to impress; no party secures clear majority in 12 ULBs

Counting of votes for the BMC elections in progress in Berhampur on Friday.

The ruling Biju Janata Dal headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has performed well in the elections held in the 66 urban local bodies in the State though it suffered setbacks in some of its strongholds.

Of the 65 urban local bodies for which results were announced after counting of the votes on Friday, the BJD secured a majority in as many as 41 ULBs, while opposition Congress won a majority in 10 civic bodies, and Independents managed to win in a majority of wards in two ULBs.

No clear majority was secured by any party or independent candidates in as many as 12 ULBs, according to State Election Commissioner Ajit Kumar Tripathy.

Out of the total number of 1121 wards the results of which were announced by the State Election Commission, BJD bagged 642, while Congress won 318, BJP 47, Independents 101and others 10.

The Bharatiya Janata Party failed to secure a majority in any of the 65 ULBs as it fared badly in the polls. It only managed to win seven of the total 15 wards in Rairangpur Notified Area Council in Mayurbhanj district.

The results of the Vyasanagar Municipality in Jajpur district will be known on Saturday.

Polling was conducted in two booths there on Friday as non-functioning of the voting machines had led to postponement of polling on Thursday.

The BJD achieved success despite the party chief fighting the polls without his one-time trusted lieutenant Pyarimohan Mohapatra who had since formed a regional political outfit. Mr. Patnaik had not only deployed his Ministers and legislators in different urban local bodies to oversee the campaign, he had extensively used helicopter to address public meetings in a majority of civic bodies seeking support for his party nominees.

The hard work of Mr. Patnaik and his party colleagues paid dividends and the party managed to come out successful in a majority of ULBs. Though the BJD managed to maintain its hold in the Berhampur Municipal Corporation by bagging 24 of the 40 seats, it lost the election in coastal Jagatsinghpur Municipality. The BJD won nine of the 21 wards in Jagatsinghpur, while the Congress nominees won in 12 wards. The party also lost the polls in the Nayagarh and Pipili notified area councils.

As regards the Congress, the party managed to perform well in many ULBs under the leadership of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Jayadev Jena, who had been facing non-cooperation from several of the senior leaders of his party since his recent appointment as PCC chief. The party had done much better than the 2008 civic polls, Mr. Jena said.

BJP State unit president Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo admitted that the party had not performed as was expected by them. He also blamed the BJD for winning the polls by using money and muscle power, and using the administration in a wrong manner.

Polls to ULBs pass off peacefully

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• 
  TIGHT VIGIL:BMC polls being held under heavy security at a booth in Berhampur on Thursday. (Right) People queue up to cast their vote in Berhampur.— photos: Lingaraj Panda
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About 68 per cent of the nearly 18 lakh voters exercise franchise

Barring a few stray incidents, polling in the 66 urban local bodies of the State passed off peacefully amid tight security on Thursday.

According to the State Election Commission, about 68 per cent of the 18 lakh-odd voters exercised their franchise when polling was conducted from 8 am to 5 pm during the day. The counting of votes will be held on Friday.

The polling also passed off peacefully in the Maoist affected districts of Malkangiri, Koraput, Rayagada and Nabarangpur. An average of 60 per cent votes was polled in the urban local bodies in these districts. The highest of 70 per cent votes were polled in Umerkote notified area council in Nabarangpur.

As the voting ended in the evening, the fate of the 3000-odd candidates was sealed in EVMs as the voters exercised their franchise in 1,966 booths to elect 1,101 ward members and corporators in the 66 ULBs in 20 districts of the State. There was delay in polling at a few booths as the electronic voting machines developed technical snag.

Polling was extended by an hour in the booths the EVMs were replaced following technical snag.

Non-functioning of the EVMs forced the authorities to postpone the polling till Friday at two booths in a ward in Vyasanagar Municipality in Jajpur district. The counting of the votes in Vyasanagar will be done on Saturday.

As a total of 561 booths were identified as sensitive and 108 booths were identified as hypersensitive, adequate security arrangements were made at those booths to ensure peaceful polling.

No untoward incident

Polling for the volatile and tense elections for Berhampur Municipal Corporation on Thursday was completed amidst tight police security without any untoward incidents.

As per election officials for the BMC polls, 55.22 per cent of the voters in the city exercised their franchise. Polling was conducted in 218 polling booths. One hundred and nine polling booths meant for BMC elections had been identified as hypersensitive. Eighty nine polling booths of BMC area were identified as sensitive.

To check any possibility of efforts by any miscreant to terrorize voters or to disrupt polling process, one platoon of commando striking force was also on patrol around the city during the polling process.

As per the Berhampur Superintendent of Police (SP) Anirudh Singh, these commandoes had orders for shoot at sight to curb any kind of violent menace by miscreants during polling process.

Apart from the SP, the Ganjam district collector Krishen Kumar and Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of police, Amitabh Thakur moved around the city to monitor the law and order and smooth conduct of polls. Over 20 platoons of police personnel including 15 platoons of Odisha State Armed Police (OSAP) have been deployed in the city during the polling process. Twenty six patrolling vehicles with armed police personnel moved around the city. Armed police had been deployed in hypersensitive booths.

Polling continued at brisk pace at all the booths from 8am. Although it was expected that polling may become higher in the afternoon, torrential rains that started from around 3.30pm slightly reduced flow of voters to booths in the last phase of polling that continued till 5pm.

Counting of votes for the BMC elections would be held on Friday.

Civic polls, an acid test for BJD

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Outcome likely to influence next year’s Lok Sabha, Assembly elections in a big way

The polls being held in 66 urban local bodies of the State on Thursday is going to be an acid test for Chief Minister and Biju Janata Dal president Naveen Patnaik.

Even though the civic polls were being held in the regions that were strongholds of the BJD, the party has found itself in a shaky position as there seemed to be an urge among the people for a change.

Polls were not being held in 25 urban local bodies in western Odisha where the party had performed badly in the 2009 polls.

Since assuming power as the Chief Minister for the first time in March 2000, Mr. Patnaik has always taken elections seriously.

In fact, it is said that he starts preparing for the next polls soon after the BJD win in any election. But the polls in as many as 1,103 wards in the 66 urban local bodies is being considered to be a do-or-die situation for the BJD since its outcome will influence the next year’s Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in a big way. 

Further, Mr. Patnaik is facing the polls in so many urban local bodies for the first time without his one-time trusted lieutenant Pyarimohan Mohapatra. The BJD had suffered defeat in all the three newly-formed notified area councils at Attabira, Nuapada and Hindol where elections were held in April this year. Opposition Congress was emerged victorious in the three NACs.

Things have become tough for Mr. Patnaik this time round although Mr. Mohapatra’s Odisha Jan Morcha was not contesting the civic polls in the 66 urban local bodies. Mr. Mohapatra, however, has called upon the people to defeat the candidates of the BJD in Thursday’s urban local body polls.

That Mr. Patnaik was very serious about the outcome of the polls was evident from the strategy he has adopted to make the party win.

Not only Mr. Patnaik himself campaigned extensively in a majority of urban local bodies, but also he engaged his Ministers and legislators to concentrate on particular towns to oversee the party campaign. Further, the BJD also engaged the maximum number of film actors to campaign in support of its nominees.

On the other hand, the current civic polls were no less important for the Congress which had remained out of power in the State since 2000. It was also a prestige issue for Odisha Pradesh Congress president Jayadev Jena as Congress was facing the civic polls after his appointment as the head of the party in the State for the second time.

In a way, the Thursday’s polls were equally crucial for both the BJD and the Congress as they would prepare their strategy for the next Assembly elections based on their current performance — Mr. Patnaik for a fourth consecutive term as Chief Minister and the Congress for a comeback in the State.

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Naveen Patnaik is facing the polls without trusted lieutenant

Mohapatra

Mohapatra calls upon people to defeat the BJD candidates

BJD and Congress brace for keen contest

PRAFULLA DAS

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Campaign for elections to 66 urban local bodies in the State comes to a close

The high-voltage campaign for Thursday’s elections to the 66 urban local bodies in the State came to close on Tuesday with the three major parties expressing hope that their candidates will emerge victorious.

Top leaders of the ruling Biju Janata Dal, and opposition Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party actively took part in the campaign to woo the voters. They joined roadshows organised by their local units in different urban areas and also addressed public meetings to seek the people’s support in favour of their nominees.

While Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik led the BJD’s poll campaign and extensively toured in various urban local bodies, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Jayadev Jena led his party’s campaign by travelling from one corner of the State to another. The BJP campaign was headed by party’s State president Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo.

The main fight, however, was taking place between the BJD and the Congress in a majority of ULBs.

The BJD was able to put up a good show by involving a large number of film actors, despite many senior leaders of the party opposing other in many ULBs. The Congress, which was also suffering from infighting at the State level, had managed to organise its election campaign in a successful manner with Mr. Jena leading the show. More than 18 lakh voters will cast their votes at 1968 booths in as many as 1103 wards in the 66 urban local bodies, including the Berhampur Municipal Corporation with highest number of 40 wards. A total of 3893 candidates were in the fray in the 66 ULBs going to the polls. Meanwhile, the State Election Commission had taken a series of measures to ensure free and fair poll in all the ULBs. Special squads had been deployed to prevent violation of the model code of conduct.

As a large number of polling booths had been identified as sensitive due to various reasons, necessary steps were being taken to ensure smooth polling. Additional security arrangements were being made in the ULBs in southern Odisha where Maoists were having a strong presence. A total of 561 booths had been identified as sensitive and 108 booths had been identified as hypersensitive, according to the State Election Commission.

The State government had announced Thursday as a holiday to help the voters cast their votes. All government offices, barring treasuries and sub-treasuries will remain closed on the polling day.

In fact, the State Election Commission had initially made announcement to hold polls in a total of 91 ULBs. But election was stopped in 25 ULBs spread over nine districts after the poll process was affected due to a long-drawn agitation demanding establishment of a permanent High Court bench in western Odisha.

More than 18 lakh people to cast their vote in 1,968 booths in 1,103 wards

Berhampur Municipal Corporation has the highest number of 40 wards

A total of 3893 candidates are in the fray

Special squads deployed to check violation of the model code of conduct

Additional security in place in ULBs in south Odisha, where Maoists have a strong presence