Youth, education, and talent: Naveen Patnaik's prerequisites for succeeding electorally in Odisha

Bhubaneswar, Mar 13: After securing almost 90 per cent of the zilla parishad seats in Odisha, the ruling BJD headed by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Sunday scripted history by forming councils in all the 30 districts of the state.

As per the ruling party, 70 per cent of the ZP presidents are women. They are heading ZPs in 21 of the 30 districts. Large districts such as Mayurbhanj, Ganjam, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Bolangir and Sambalpur are headed by women zilla parishad presidents. "For the first time in the history of Odisha, and probably across the country, a single party has formed zilla parishads in all the districts of the state," BJD vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra said.

While the average age of ZP presidents is 41 years, Patnaik selected younger and educated candidates with clean records to head the zilla parishads in all the districts, he said, adding that 67 per cent of ZP president seats (unreserved/women) were filled by OBC members. As many as 15 of the 30 districts (or 50 per cent) now have zilla parishad president aged below 40 years, while 23 of the 30 districts (or 76 per cent) have ZP presidents aged below 50 years.

Apparently keeping an eye on the next general elections in 2024, Patnaik, in a major decision, has chosen young, educated and talented party workers as zilla parishad presidents with a long-term strategic view to mentor them for leadership positions. For instance, 23-year-old Saraswarti Majhi, a science graduate, has been selected as the youngest zilla parishad president from tribal dominated Rayagada district.

"I will stress on education of children and health of elderly persons," she said. Patnaik has also selected 26-year-old Samari Tangul of Swabhiman Anchal (a former cut-off area) as the zilla parishad president of Malkangiri. Meanwhile, the BJD said that its members have been elected as panchayat samity chairpersons in 278 of the 314 blocks of the state. Elections to the post were held on Friday.

The BJP has won 21 blocks, while the Congress secured 13 blocks, and the CPI (M) three. The BJP drew a blank in 17 districts, and the Congress in 22. In all, the BJD has won 88.5 per cent of the panchayat samity chairperson posts. The Congress has been routed in the coastal region barring Puri, whereas the BJP comparatively performed well in western Odisha but also faced a routed in the coastal parts of the state. PTI