HIGH on HOPE

Bhubaneswar, Feb. 12: Unfazed by Pipili gangrape and hooch tragedy controversies, the Biju Janata Dal claims to be far ahead of its rivals after the first round of polling for the three-tier panchayat elections.

Though the counting of votes for 194 zilla parishad seats, which went to polls yesterday, took place on the same day. The results are yet to be announced officially.

However, according to unofficial estimates, the BJD has won 133 of these 194 zilla parishad seats. While the Congress bagged 31 seats, the BJP has the single digit tally of six.

“If this trend continues, we will sweep the polls,” said BJD second-in-command Pyari Mohan Mohapatra. He said the party had done well and improved upon its performance in the last elections.

BJD youth wing president Sanjay Dasburma said: “The winning spree will continue and will be reflected in the next four phases of elections.”

However, Congress, the main Opposition party in the state, said all should wait till the elections were over. State Congress president Niranjan Patnaik said: “You will have to wait till the entire election process is over.”

Expressing his happiness over the party’s performance in the first round of polls, Patnaik said: “We are no match to the black money and muscle power of the ruling party. But, we have still done well.”

BJP state president Juel Oram said: “ This is not the end. There are four more rounds of polling. We will fight to the finish.”

On the other hand, a senior official of the State Election Commission said: “Though the counting has already been completed for the first phase of panchayat election, the results will be declared after the entire polling process is over on February 19.”

Only the election for the zilla parishads is being fought on party symbols. The sarpanch, panchayat samiti and ward member candidates are neither allowed to use party symbols nor take support of any party.

The next phase polling will be held on Monday for 197 zilla parishad seats spread over 83 blocks in 30 districts of Odisha. In order to ensure a free and fair election, the State Election commission has asked the government to provide two choppers and deploy more Special Operations Group personnel.

The next three rounds of polling are scheduled to take place on February 15, 17 and 19. The final results would be announced officially on February 21, said a state election commission.

The ongoing panchayat elections have seen high-voltage campaigning with the ruling party trying to highlight its achievements such as distribution of Rs 2-a-kg rice among the below poverty line (BPL) people, empowerment of women through Mission Shakti and welfare of the Dalits. The Opposition, on the other hand, sought to play up the Pipili gangrape and Cuttack-Khurda hooch death controversies.