BJD-BJP to capture maximum Zilla Parishad seats in Orissa-Pujari

Bhubaneswar, Feb 01 (UNI) Notwithstanding failure of alliance in majority seats, the ruling BJD-BJP combine in Orissa will capture maximum Zilla Parishad member posts in the five-phase Panchayat elections commencing February 13.

BJP Orissa unit president Suresh Pujari said the two ruling coalition partners had entered into a seat sharing adjustment for 204 of the total 854 Zilla Parishad member posts and entered into a joint campaign in seven districts while ''friendly fight'' in some other places.

He, however, asserted that both BJP and the BJD would perform better in the election as compared to the last elections in 2002 in which BJP won 183 posts, while the BJD captured 291 posts.

Mr Pujari said the BJD-BJP had entered into seat sharing in Sambalpur, Jharsugura, Baragarh, Sundargarh, Kandhmal and Nabarangour districts, where they had already launched a joint campaign to defeat the major Opposition Congress hands down.

To a question, he said the BJP sincerely tried seat adjustment for all the 854 Zilla Parishad member posts, but in majority of the districts, the local units of the BJD decided not to have any seat sharing.

The BJP president said the two parties did well in the last Panchayat elections even though they had seat adjustment only in two districts.

He said the Congress took the advantage of distress sale in the state and successfully made it as an issue in the last Panchayat elections to capture a sizable seats in Zilla Parishad elections.

Mr Pujari hinted that the new office-bearers of various committees of the state party would be constituted by the end of February after the completion of the Panchayat elections.

UNI