BJD scores Landslide Victory in Odisha ULB Polls

As expected, the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), riding high on the popularity of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, completely routed rival Congress and BJP in the Urban Local Body (ULB) polls and emerged much stronger in the run up to 2014 Assembly and Lok Sabha Polls. The Odisha ULB Polls 2013 is seen as a mandate for Naveen Patnaik, who went to polls without his mentor Pyari Mohan Mohapatra for the first time.

Out of the 66 NACs and Municipalities that went to polls, the BJD has won 45 ULBs so far. The Congress has won just 12. The BJP is ahead in just one NAC. For the first time in history, Banki went to the BJD. The Banki NAC had been with the Congress since its inception. The BJD has also won the Berhampur Municipal Corporation by winning 24 out of 40 seats. Congress won 15 seats.

The BJD has won Jajpur, Hinjili, Bhanjanagar, Purushottampur, Bhadrak, Belaguntha, Nimapara, Bhuban, Puri, Konark, Nabarangpur, Umerkote, Malkangiri, Athgarh, Konark, Talcher, Kamakhyanagar, Khandapada, Digapahandi, Chikiti, Gunupur, Kashipur, Balasore, Pattamundai, Banapur, Gudari, Rayagada, Jeypore, Banki, Boudh, Nilagiri, Sorada, Karanjia, Choudwar, Kasinagar, Gopalpur, Aska, Bellaguntha, Khallikote, Rambha, KS Nagar, Ganjam, Khordha, Kendujhar, Balugaon etc.

The Congress Party has won in Jagatsinghpur, Jaleswar, Angul, Nayagarh, Pipili, Basudevpur, Polasara, Athamallik, Paralekhemundi, Dhenkanal, Soro, and Buguda. Congress may capture the Barbil Municipality too, as it has won 7 out of 15 seats there. Koraput and Joda have thrown interesting results. In Koraput, both BJD and Congress won 10 wards each. The Independent candidate will hold the key here. Interestingly, the result was same in the last elections too when the CMAS candidate supported the BJD to win the NAC. In Joda, both parties won seven wards each.

The BJP is leading in Rairangpur, as they won 7 out of 14 seats. In Talcher, BJP won 5 seats and finished second. BJP finished second in Ganjam NAC by winning 4 seats, while BJD won 6. In Udala, BJP won 4 seats, while the Congress won just two. BJD failed to win a single seat here. Independents, who won 6 seats, will hold the key. In Kodala, 10 out of 13 seats went to the Independent (rebel) candidates. In Jatani too, Independent candidates are leading the polls. In Anandpur, out of 16 seats, seven have gone to Independents, while BJD has won 6.

Energy and I&PR Minister Arun Sahooo, who helped the party win many other NACs and Municipalities in Coastal Odisha, received a major setback, as Congress snatched the Nayagarh NAC from BJD in a high-voltage, thrilling contest. According to him, over-confidence and complacency of the BJD workers worked against the party. In Pipili, there was a setback for Pardip Maharathy, as his party conceded defeat to the Congress.