02-24-2007, 02:29 AM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>BJD, BJP sweep Orissa panchayat poll </b>
Pioneer News Service | Bhubaneswar
The Biju Janata Dal (BJD), led by Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, has registered dramatic gains in the recently concluded Zilla Parishad elections in the State. <b>The party profited from the losses of the Congress and its own ruling alliance partner the BJP.</b>
The BJD, which has been ruling the State since 2000 along with its ally<b> BJP, defied the anti-incumbency factor and proved once again that its popularity among the electorate remained intact.</b>
Though the results will be officially declared on Saturday, pundits opine that out the 30 Zilla Parishads, the BJD-BJP alliance is set to control 23. Of these, the BJD would in all likelihood retain the chairmanship of 19 ZPs and the BJP of four. The BJD, on its own, is likely to form ZPs in Cuttack, Ganjam, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Khurda, Koraput, Nayagarh, Puri, Raygada and Sonepur. Similarly, the BJP would form ZPs under its own steam in Deogarh, Dhenkanal, Gajapati and Kalahandi.
<b>Compared to the last Panchayat election held in 2002, the BJD has improved its strength. In the last election, the BJD bagged the chairmanship in 12 ZPs while the BJP controlled seven ZPs</b>.
On the other hand,<b> Congress, which formed 10 ZPs in the last election, is down to five this time. However, the Congress has won more ZP seats this time than in the last election. It will form ZPs in Angul, Balasore, Nabarangpur, Sambalpur and Sundergarh.</b>
Similarly, the JMM is likely to control the Mayurbhanj ZP while the newly formed Bharatiya Jana Shakti will head the ZP in Malkangiri.
BJD has also been able to improve its own numbers in the various ZPs. While in 2002, it had won 291 seats, this time it has increased its strength substantially and bagged 353 seats in ZPs.
However, the BJP did not fare so well this time and in fact its strength was down from 183 to 137. On the other hand, the Congress bagged 287 seats.
Independent candidates have also performed better in comparison to the last election. They bagged 77 seats as against 46 seats the last time around.
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Pioneer News Service | Bhubaneswar
The Biju Janata Dal (BJD), led by Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, has registered dramatic gains in the recently concluded Zilla Parishad elections in the State. <b>The party profited from the losses of the Congress and its own ruling alliance partner the BJP.</b>
The BJD, which has been ruling the State since 2000 along with its ally<b> BJP, defied the anti-incumbency factor and proved once again that its popularity among the electorate remained intact.</b>
Though the results will be officially declared on Saturday, pundits opine that out the 30 Zilla Parishads, the BJD-BJP alliance is set to control 23. Of these, the BJD would in all likelihood retain the chairmanship of 19 ZPs and the BJP of four. The BJD, on its own, is likely to form ZPs in Cuttack, Ganjam, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Khurda, Koraput, Nayagarh, Puri, Raygada and Sonepur. Similarly, the BJP would form ZPs under its own steam in Deogarh, Dhenkanal, Gajapati and Kalahandi.
<b>Compared to the last Panchayat election held in 2002, the BJD has improved its strength. In the last election, the BJD bagged the chairmanship in 12 ZPs while the BJP controlled seven ZPs</b>.
On the other hand,<b> Congress, which formed 10 ZPs in the last election, is down to five this time. However, the Congress has won more ZP seats this time than in the last election. It will form ZPs in Angul, Balasore, Nabarangpur, Sambalpur and Sundergarh.</b>
Similarly, the JMM is likely to control the Mayurbhanj ZP while the newly formed Bharatiya Jana Shakti will head the ZP in Malkangiri.
BJD has also been able to improve its own numbers in the various ZPs. While in 2002, it had won 291 seats, this time it has increased its strength substantially and bagged 353 seats in ZPs.
However, the BJP did not fare so well this time and in fact its strength was down from 183 to 137. On the other hand, the Congress bagged 287 seats.
Independent candidates have also performed better in comparison to the last election. They bagged 77 seats as against 46 seats the last time around.
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