Baripada: The BJP had strengthened its foothold in Mayurbhanj in the 2017 panchayat elections and in the last general elections six MLAs along with its MP were elected from here.
It was thought to be a fortress of the saffron party until the rural poll results started coming out.
However, the recently concluded panchayat elections turned a nightmare for them as the BJP could not bag even a single zilla parishad (ZP) seat in the second phase of counting Sunday.
Union MoS for Tribal Affairs and Jal Shakti Bishweswar Tudu has been looking after the organisation of the BJP. However, his influence fell flat, given the election results.
The ruling BJD has so far made a clean sweep by winning 25 ZP seats and is leading in 25 others. However, the JMM has managed to grab a seat (ZP zone 33) in Bisoi block.
In 2017, the BJP had formed council by winning 49 out of 56 ZP seats. Its outstanding performance in the panchayat elections in 2017 helped the saffron party register its win in six assembly segments out of nine segments in 2019.
It is said that after the 2017 panchayat debacle and the 2019 general elections, the BJD had been busy in settling its organisational shortcomings and piecing together the dissident factions.
BJD had tried its level best to redress the issues of the people in the tribal-dominated district and their relentless efforts handed it out outstanding electoral success in 2022.
PNN
