Bhubaneswar: The high-pitched campaign for the March 24 elections to 109 civic bodies in Odisha, including the municipal corporations of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Berhampur, ended at 5.00pm Tuesday. The elections are being fought between BJD, BJP and Congress, while AAP, buoyed by its Punjab victory, has also fielded candidates in some places.
BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik did not campaign even in his area. However, ruling MLAs, MPs and ministers worked overtime putting in their best effort to ensure the victory of party candidates.
BJP state president Samir Mohanty and OPCC chief Niranjan Patnaik, however, campaigned for their respective party candidates in some places, while the elected MLAs and MPs of all the parties intensively reached out to the people.
The prestigious Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), which is spread over three Assembly segments, witnessed a hectic and noisy campaigning by the parties, especially the BJD and the BJP.
While the ruling BJD holds all the three Assembly segments of Bhubaneswar, the BJP has captured the Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha seat. The Congress has no representation in the BMC area, but the grand old party hopes to perform well this time, said Jatni MLA Suresh Routray.
As per the instruction of the State Election Commission (SEC), the administration has imposed a five-day dry period from Tuesday in view of the urban polls. The state excise commissioner has asked all the collectors and district magistrates to ensure that no liquor is sold or distributed in the polling areas from March 22 to 26, an official said.
The SEC said that 195 platoons of policemen and 22,000 polling personnel will be deployed for holding the elections.
Over 40.55 lakh voters are eligible to exercise their franchise, SEC Aditya Prasad Padhi said. He added polling will be held in 47 municipalities, 59 NACs (notified area councils) and three municipal corporations.
As many as 6,411 candidates are in the fray for the election. While 569 candidates are contesting for the post of either chairperson or mayor, 5,842 candidates will fight for either councillor or corporator seat.
