Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, April 8: The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) swept the elections to the eight urban local bodies (ULBs) that went to polls in the state Tuesday.
The party clinched 113 of the total of 129 wards in the ULB polls, the results of which were announced Wednesday. The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cut a sorry figure, bagging only 12 and 11 wards respectively. The other three wards were won by Independents.
The ruling party got absolute majority in Daspalla, Dharmagarh, Balimela, Tusra, and Redhakhol Notified Area Councils (NAC) and three municipalities in Paradip, Belpahar and Sunabeda.
Of the total of 16 seats in Daspalla, the BJD won 13, the BJP one and Independents two. BJD claimed 13 of the 14 seats in Dharamgarh, with the Congress taking the remaining one.
BJD bagged eight of the 11 wards in Tusra, with the BJP winning two and an Independent the remaining one.
In Redhakhol, the ruling party won 12 of the 13 seats with the BJP winning one, while in Balimela, BJD grabbed seven of the 12 wards with the Congress and the BJP winning two and three wards respectively.
The ruling party won 16 of the 19 seats each in Paradip and Belpahar, while in Sunabeda it won 18 of the 25 seats with the Congress winning five and the BJP two.
Celebrations broke out at the BJD party headquarters as soon as the results were declared. Ministers, party leaders, BJD supporters and other VIPs thronged Naveen Niwas and felicitated party president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
“I extend gratitude to the voters of the ULBs who made us win and I also thank party workers and leaders for their efforts to ensure the victory for the party in the polls,” Patnaik said.
The opposition, however, severely criticised the ruling BJD.
“We have never seen the use of helicopters during ULB polls. The BJD won as it managed to use administrative machinery in its favour during the elections,” BJP president KV Singhdeo said.
Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee president Prasad Harichandan said, “We will introspect on our defeat and work hard to ensure that our party wins in the panchayat elections in 2017.”
BJD spokesperson Samir Das said, “The victory in the ULB polls indicates the faith people of the state have on the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government. Rather than blaming the BJD, opposition parties should introspect as to why people rejected them.”