Odisha panchayat election 2017: BJP gives tough fight to ruling BJD

The BJP has already started calling it the beginning of the end for the Naveen Patnayak-led BJD in Odisha

In unprecedented results, the saffron party has done exceptionally well in the recently-concluded panchayat polls. The BJP secured majority in at least eight zilla parishads at the end of the fifth and final phase of polling on February 21, while the ruling Biju Janata Dal won 16 (out of 30). The Congress, on the other hand, could only manage 1.

In 2012, the BJD had emerged as the leader, winning 651 of the 851 seats, while the BJP had won just 36 seats. Now in a sort of reversal, it could only managed 450 seats while BJP could win well over 300.

The first phase of panchayat poll recorded 71 %, the second 73 %, third stands at 75%, and 76% voter turnout in fourth phase.The BJD has emerged winner in Cuttack, Puri, Jajpur, Keonjhar Jagatsinghpur, Ganjam, Kendrapara, Angul, Balasore, Bhadrak, Dhenkanal, Nuapada, Koraput, and Boudh districts while the BJP is ahead in Mayurbhanj, Malkangiri, Bolangir,Kalahandi, Sonepur, Sambalpur, Bargarh and Deogarh districts.

The results of the sarpanch, panchayat samiti members and ward members were announced on Thursday, while the results of the zilla parishad, which were contested on party symbols, will be announced on February 25.

The final tally could change after the official announcements by the state Election Commission on February 25, since the counting of some seats is yet to be completed because of various reasons.

Poll violence

Meanwhile, the Odisha assembly witnessed an uproar on Thursday when opposition Congress and BJP demanded a discussion on the violence during the elections which ended on February 21.

The Opposition legislators shouted slogans standing on their seats on the second day of the budget session.

They demanded that the discussion be held immediately after cancelling the question hour. The ruling party members also alleged that their party activisits had been fallen prey to the poll violence. "Our party supported Sarpanch candidate has been arrested on flimsy ground," said BJD law maker Amar Prasad Satpathy.

However, the speaker did not say anything on whether to allow a discussion on the poll violence in the House.