Jajpur: Desertion of senior party leaders with their supporters to the BJD might spoil the BJP’s applecart in Jajpur in the upcoming panchayat elections, a report said.
The party might not repeat the success it had achieved in 2017 panchayat and 2019 general elections. Reports said the ruling BJD had received 49.81 per cent votes, BJP 40.5 per cent votes and Congress 7.63 per cent votes in the last general elections.
The saffron party’s vote share jumped to 40.5 per cent in the 2019 general elections which had received only 15.53 per cent votes in the 2014 general elections. The astounding results thrown up by the saffron party were termed as a warning bell for the BJD.
However, things have changed by now. The rise in prices of essential commodities has pinched the common people hard. This may reflect in their choices for the party in the panchayat and civic body elections.
The ruling BJD had won 33 Zilla Parishad seats and the BJP six seats in 2017 panchayat elections. The saffron party’s vote share in the 2017 panchayat elections increased to 31 per cent from 16 per cent in the 2014 general elections.
The increase in the support base of the BJP had sparked concern for the BJD.
In the 2019 general elections, the BJP did not win a single seat in the district but managed to increase its vote share. The party candidates were able to give a tough fight in Barchana and Bari Assembly segments.
The BJP candidate at Barchana was defeated by just 1,485 votes in the 2019 general elections. Similarly, the BJP candidate in Bari was defeated by 4,062 votes. Party leaders and analysts attributed the rise in the vote share to Prime Minister Modi’s popularity.
However, with the change in time, election analysts now claim the saffron party might not be able to repeat its previous success. The price bogey will have a negative bearing on the upcoming panchayat elections.
Meanwhile, irregularities in housing projects and other developmental works have sparked resentment among people. It is alleged that benefits of central welfare schemes do not reach the people.
The district lags behind other districts on many fronts like nutrition, drinking water and communication. The BJP, however, has failed to reap political mileage from these issues due to lack of political activities.
BJD had received 75,401 votes, BJP 37,944 votes and Congress 16,477 votes in Dharmasala block in the 2017 panchayat elections. The BJD’s vote share dropped to a large extent in the last panchayat elections in Jajpur Assembly segment.
In Dasarathpur block, BJD received 59,687 votes, BJP 50,649 votes and Congress only 8,268 votes. In Jajpur block, BJD received 54,912 votes and BJP 27,711 votes. BJP’s success in Binjharpur block was surprising.
Here BJD received 48,992 votes while BJP received 40,678 votes in the panchayat elections. In Korei block, BJD got 45,041 votes while BJP received 27, 642 votes and Congress only 20,933 votes.
In Rasulpur block, BJD received 47,623 votes while BJP received 45,524 votes. In Bari block, BJD received 40,331 votes while BJP received 43,828 votes. In Sukinda and Danagadi blocks BJP failed to get much success.
In Sukinda block, BJD received 41,559 votes, BJP 7543 votes and Congress 20,233 votes. In Danagadi, BJD got 35,663 votes, BJP 6418 votes and Congress 27,501 votes. In Barchana block, BJD received 63,266 votes, BJP 30, 216 votes and Congress 27,781 votes.
PNN
