All parties have stepped up their poll preparedness in Subarnapur district as panchayat elections are drawing near.
In the three-tier panchayat elections between 1997 and 2012, while JD and BJP have occupied the Zilla Parishad Chairman post once each, BJD occupied it twice. Congress has never headed the ZP.
In 1997 Zilla Parisad election, Janata Dal had won six seats, Congress four, BJP two and independent had got one seat. JD’s Anil Kalayat had been elected as Zilla Parisad Chairman. In 2002 elections, Congress had increased its share by two more and got six seats, BJP by two and got four seats while BJD had got three seats. BJP’s Anand Barik was elected as ZP Chairman. In 2007 election, BJD won nine seats, BJP three, Congress had got one seat. BJD’s Puspanjali Kanta was elected as ZP chief. In 2012 election, the BJD kept up its winning streak and got 12 seats, while Congress had got one seat. Again, BJD’s Himansu Shekhar Biswal headed the Zilla Parisad.
BJD wants to maintain the same winning spree in 2017, while BJP and Congress have prepared to increase their tallies. This time, the ZP Chairman seat is reserved for SC. Similarly, Ullunda zone-2, Birmaharajpur zone-1 and Tarbha zone-1 are reserved for SC. There are a total of 13 ZP seats in the district.
Now all eyes are on two powerful leaders such as former Minister Padmanav Behera and Sonepur MlA- cum- Speaker Niranjan Pujhari, who would leave no stone unturned for a tough fight.