The results of the recently held elections to the Urban Cooperative Bank, Rourkela, have taken political watchers by surprise. Although cooperative elections were not held under party banners, behind-the-scene activities by leaders of the BJD and other parties to control cooperative institutions lent a political undertone to the contest.
The way panels of candidates were formed, the election ultimately turned to be a proxy contest between pro-BJD and anti-BJD forces. Another factor which raised the pitch of the contest was the announcement by the Government that elections to the proposed Rourkela Municipal Corporation are scheduled to be held in April.
Since over the years the Rourkela electorate has been polarised along the BJD and anti-BJD lines, the Urban Cooperative Bank election turned into a virtual fight between these forces to achieve morale boost before the corporation elections.
The ultimate results of cooperative election have dealt a severe blow to the ruling BJD after its defeat in the last Assembly polls in the Steel City. The BJD-supported candidates failed to win a single seat in the elections held on January 25 for 14 Wards. The director from Ward-4 was elected unopposed.
However, the rout of BJD-backed candidates in the cooperative election may not have much bearing on the coming corporation elections as issues and electorates are completely different. To defeat the BJD-supported candidates in the cooperative poll, many BJP and Congress leaders jointly extended their support to the other panel, but this would not be possible in corporation elections.
However, the fact remains that the BJD in Sundargarh district and particularly Rourkela is yet to recover from the 2014 elections defeat.