Jajpur: After scrutiny of nominations, as many as 100 candidates are in the fray for posts of councilors and chairpersons in Vyasanagar municipality in Jajpur.
However, a number of rebel candidates contesting for the civic body polls have become a cause of concern for the ruling party.
According to reports, the party leaders have been trying hard to convince some of the rebels to withdraw their nominations. The last date of nomination withdrawal is March 14.
There are 26 wards in this municipality. Both political observers and ruling party leaders feel that rebel candidates may spoil the prospects of party nominees in the upcoming elections, unless they are made to withdraw their nominations.
On the other hand, opposition party BJP is not so much active in the civic body election as some BJP leaders and activists have been sidelined.
Some also observed that though the BJD has a number of rebels, the party’s candidates may manage to survive in the elections.
Well before the nomination filing, the BJD had a lot of hopefuls for councilor and the chairperson posts. However, many were deprived of tickets in the last minute.
In almost all wards, the party has rebel candidates, who are feared to affect the electoral fortune of the party candidates.
In ward 25, Mina Kumar Mallick was aspiring for a BJD ticket, but another leader was given ticket instead. He is now contesting as an independent candidate.
In ward 26, Ranju Rout was hopeful of the BJD ticket for a long time, but he was denied ticket. His wife Kalpana Rout is contesting independently.
Many new leaders got tickets, leaving workers who have been working for the party for a long time angry and rebellious. Some workers, though with the BJD, are not coming out in the open against the negligence.
PNN