Berhampur: Although the process for conducting municipal as well as three-tier panchayat elections has not yet started, the three major political parties in the state– BJD, BJP and Congress – have started their groundwork in Ganjam district.
According to sources, the ruling BJD, saffron and the Congress camps here have been focusing more on organisational expansion of their respective parties ahead of elections for the local bodies in the district. As the district is represented by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, all the three major political parties attach much emphasis and it has become a matter of prestige issue for all.
The saffron camp recently conducted internal elections for new office-bearers of two of its organisational districts in Ganjam. Likewise, the BJD a few days back has appointed its new district president. The Congress lags behind the others in this regard.
All India Congress Committee (AICC) observer for Odisha and the party’s General Secretary Jitendra Singh including Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief Niranjan Patnaik had visited Ganjam district February 18. They had reviewed organisational status of the party in Ganjam, Gajapati, Kandhamal and Boudh districts during their visit.
It is known that they had discussed with local leaders and senior workers of the party in Ganjam district regarding selection of its district president. The party will soon declare names of new office-bearers.
The process of organisational election for the block, panchayat and ward level office-bearers of both BJD and BJP had started in the district in December and ended in January this year. However, the names of respective district presidents were declared in recent days.
The saffron camp has elected Gokulananda Mallick and Bibhuti Bhusan Jena as the party’s district presidents for Ghumusar and Ganjam organisational districts respectively. Likewise, the ruling party has elected its five-time MLA from Berhampur constituency Dr Ramesh Chandra Chyau Patnaik as its district president for Ganjam unit.
BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik has played his trump card by selecting party’s veteran Dr Patnaik in the case of Ganjam organisational district ahead of municipal elections, local political analysts opined.
The ruling party is all set for the civic elections in Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC), newly-formed Hinjili Municipality and 16 Notified Area Councils. It is being debated that Dr Patnaik could face several challenges in leading the Ganjam organisational district.
On the other hand, BJD had swept most of the seats in Ganjam during 2013 municipal elections. BJP could not deliver a satisfactory performance and the Congress secured a second place in terms of voting without winning a single seat in the urban areas.
Political observers foresee a triangular contest among the three major political parties in Ganjam district if Congress selects a befitting candidate as its district president.
