Bhubaneswar, Feb. 22: A piquant situation has emerged in five districts where, given the unclear verdict in the panchayat polls, archrivals the BJD and the BJP will be obliged to join hands to form the zilla parishad councils. In one of these districts, either the BJP or the BJD would need the help of Congress for the purpose as well.

Though the final results for the zilla parishad councils will be announced on February 25, the fate of the five zilla parishad councils -Sundergarh, Nabarangpur, Kandhamal, Gajapati and Rayagada - hangs in the balance.

To form the zilla parishad council in Sundergarh district, the support of 18 zilla parishad members is required. Here, the BJD has won 13 seats, the BJP has bagged 14 and the Congress has captured five.

To form the council in Nabarangpur, a party requires the support of at least 14 members. But none of the three major parties has the required number as the BJD has won 11 seats, the BJP seven and the Congress eight. Former Congress MP Pradeep Majhi will play a crucial role in the formation of the council.

In Gajapati district, both the BJD and the BJP have bagged four seats each and the Congress has won six seats. Here a party needs at least eight members to form a council. "The chances of the Congress are brighter in Gajapati. It will be interesting to see which party the Congress ties up with - the BJD or the BJP," said a Congress leader.

A similar situation has also emerged in Rayagada district, where the BJD won eight seats, BJP four and Congress 10. Some 11 seats are needed to form the council in Rayagada.

In Kandhamal, the BJD is more likely to form the council. Here, the BJD is short of one member to reach the magic number. The BJD has won nine zilla parishad seats in Kandhamal, while the BJP and Congress have bagged four each. One Independent candidate won a seat as well. "The Independent candidate is likely to support the BJD," said a source.

Loss tonsure

In another development, a 35-year-old man got himself tonsured at a remote village in Kendrapara district after losing the poll.

Janmajay Mallick was contesting for the ward member's post at Andara village in Pattamundai police station limits in the panchayat polls. He lost the election according to the unofficial results declared a couple of days ago.

"I was with the people. I was helping everybody in the village during their bad days. During campaigning, I had received people's support. I was confident of winning. But I lost, and it has left me heart-broken. In protest against people rejecting me, I got myself tonsured," Mallick said.