TNI Bureau: Odisha is planning to hold panchayat elections two to three months ahead of the scheduled census, BJP state president Manmohan Samal.

Addressing party-supported sarpanches, samiti members and workers at a joining programme at the state BJP office, Samal said the elections could be announced within the next six months. He urged party leaders at the grassroots level to complete pending works and prepare intensively for the polls.

Manmohan Samal said the BJP aims to win at all levels — from wards and panchayats to block and district councils — and will launch joining programmes from panchayat to state level to strengthen the party’s base.

Meanwhile, the State Election Commission has completed preparations to conduct panchayat elections in January or February, while elections to newly formed NACs are scheduled for June. With the census fixed for February 2027, the government is planning to conduct the panchayat elections two to three months earlier.