Jajpur: The Bari and Barchana Assembly constituency segments will witness tough battle between the ruling BJD and the BJP in the upcoming Zilla Parishad elections, political analysts opined.
In the 2019 General Elections, the total number of voters in Jajpur district had increased by 13.21 per cent as compared to that of 2014 General Elections. Although, BJD could win all the seven Assembly constituency seats in Jajpur in 2019, BJP gave a tough challenge to the ruling party in the district.
It was, in a sense, a warning bell for the party-in-power for the future elections.
Recently, Bari BJP legislator Biswaranjan Mallick joined the BJD camp which has further doubled the pace of electioneering process in the Assembly segment. Now, analysts are of the view that the local voters may not accept party defectors, which could go against the ruling BJD.
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On the other hand, Amar Kumar Nayak, the BJP fielded candidate for Barchana Assembly constituency seat, who had lost with a narrow margin, is not seen around after the 2019 General Elections.
Even to the extent, Nayak was not seen during candidate selection process for the upcoming Zilla Parishad elections. Taking advantage, BJD has been carrying out election campaigning in the segment one-sidedly.
BJP was placed in the second position in Jajpur district during the last panchayat polls. BJD had then adopted populist strategies and got closer to the local voters by conducting door-to-door campaigns.
However, BJP had obtained 40.5 per cent votes in Jajpur due to anti-incumbency factor. The saffron party had obtained 43,828 votes in Bari block in this Assembly segment in 2017 panchayat elections. Against which, BJD had got a total of 40,331 votes in the block.
The Zilla Parishad zones No-23 and No-24 had gone to the hands of BJP and zones No-21 and No-22 had gone to the hands of BJD.
Similarly in Barchana Assembly segment in 2017 panchayat polls, BJD had secured 63,266 votes, BJP 30,216 votes and Congress 27,781 votes respectively. All the five Zilla Parishad seats had gone in favour of BJD. But, BJP had emerged as second political party.
Growing popularity of BJP was reflected in the 2019 general elections as the sitting Barchana MLA from BJD Amar Prasad Satapathy had secured 64,084 votes and BJP candidate Amar Nayak had obtained 62,599 votes.
Hence, BJD is leaving no stones unturned now.
PNN