Bhubaneswar, Nov. 11: Western Odisha is set to witness a spurt in political activities with chief minister Naveen Patnaik and his ministerial colleagues set to campaign for the November 22 urban local polls.

“The party has drawn up a list of 40 campaigners,” said BJD general secretary Narendra Swain.

The BJD has taken the civic poll as a prestige issue and entrusted various ministers with the job of poll management. With today being the last day of withdrawal of nomination papers, the campaigning is expected to pick up from tomorrow. Twenty urban bodies in nine districts will go the polls. Elections could not be held because of the lawyers’ agitation in favour of separate benches of Orissa High Court in the region.

While 301 BJD candidates remained in fray for 306 wards in the 20 civic bodies, 240 Congress and 268 BJP contestants will cross swords with them. Other 293 contestants are Independents or nominees of smaller parties or organisations. Five BJD nominees (two each in the Bargarh Municipality, the Tarbha notified area council and one in Binka notified area council) were elected uncontested.

The state election commission said 1,102 candidates were in the fray after withdrawal of nomination papers by 78 candidates and declaration of five candidates being elected unopposed.

Election will not be held for the Balangir Municipality and the Titilgarh notified area council (both in Balangir district) as no nomination papers were filed because of public protest.