While the three major political parties, BJD, BJP and Congress, have fielded their nominees for all the Zilla Parishad Zones in Mayurbhanj district, an important regional player, JMM, has put up its candidates in 49 ZP Zones. There are, in all, 56 Zilla Parishad Zones spread over 26 blocks in the district.
On the last day of filing nominations on Tuesday, all the four Sub-Collector offices in the district were seen crowded with ZP aspirants along with their supporters. While BJP nominees for 14 ZP Zones, led by senior party leaders Sanjiv Mohanty and Naveen Ram, came in an impressive procession and filed their nomination papers at the Rairangpur Sub-Collector office on Tuesday, candidates of major political parties continued their process of filing nominations for 10 ZP Zones at Karanjia Sub-Collector office for two days, i.e., on Monday andTuesday.
At the Udala Sub-Collector office too, there was a rush of candidates and their supporters on Tuesday. While the BJP had a show of strength before formally fielding its nominees for the nine ZP Zones coming under the Udala Sub-Collector jurisdiction, other parties also tried their best not to be left behind. While BJD MlAs oversaw their party’s preparations for filing of nominations, senior leaders Subas Pradhan and Nihar Modi led the BJP show.
A Baripada, the district headquarters, the Sub-Collector office accepted nomination papers for 23 ZP Zones till the last moment of the last day. While Congress district president Pradeep Rath and PCC secretary Niroj l Dash led their party candidates and JMM leaders Fagu Hansdah and Kalinga Keshari Jena their party nominees for 23 ZP Zones of Baripada Sub-Division, the BJD camp was led by youth leaders like Debasis Mohanty and Jitendra Mohanty apart from BJD MlAs of the district.