After the panchayat poll, the fate of the 35-member Sundargarh Zilla Parishad (ZP) council is yet to be decided. The ruling BJD, emerging as the largest party with 14 seats in kitty and the BJP winning 13 seats, the two parties are now trying to take their tally to the magic number of 18 to stake claim to retain the ZP council.
The Congress, which won five seats, will play a crucial role as without its support, neither the BJD nor the BJP can form the council. The Congress, however, wants to grab the ZP president in order to give support to either the BJD or the BJP.
The result of the panchayat election of Sundargarh district was officially declared on February 25. One seat each was won by the CPM, the CPI and the Independent (Birmitrapur MlA George Tirkey’s nominee).
The chance of a BJD-BJP post-poll alliance is very slim and the Sundargarh Congress will surely seize upon the opportunity by making it a pre condition to get the ZP president in order to provide its support. The ZP chief post is reserved for ST (woman). The Congress wants Subdega-A ZP member Goreti Xess, who is the only ST (woman) ZP member of the party, to be made the president.
The BJD sources too denied any scope of joining hands with the BJP. The BJD was in alliance with the BJP in Odisha from 1998 to 2008 and the BJD-BJP had jointly fought the Sundargarh ZP poll in 2007. The BJD -Congress might join hands to form the council.
However, Sundargarh poll observer and Choudwar BJD MlA Pravat Biswal refuted the Congress’s demand. He maintained that the decision of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will be final.