Odisha Panchayat Election

The victims have been identified as Narayan Kanhara of Jorasingh village and six other villagers

Jyotirmayee alleged that she was defeated in the election due to massive irregularities in the poll process

Sundargarh District BJD president Binay Toppo and Prafulla Majhi, a Congress turncoat who jumped into BJD camp, locked horns to take control of Balishankara Panchayat Samiti chairperson post.

As per preliminary reports, the two groups were engaged in a battle over a petty dispute near Kendupadar college. It is alleged that the two groups were at loggerheads over several issues.

Several aspiring Samiti Members, who aspire for Block Chairperson posts in different districts of Odisha, filed their nominations on Saturday. While many candidates arrived for the election with a grand show, several incidents of violence were also reported from different districts. 

Election to the post of chairman in Panchayat samitis across Odisha is all set to begin today at 10:30 am. The newly elected Samiti members will elect their leaders in their respective Panchayat Samitis.

Stressing that voting under coercion is not acceptable, Samantasinghar has sought immediate intervention of the State Election Commission in the matter.

Students belonging to a government High School at Mohana in Odisha’s Gajapati district were forced to wait on the school verandah on Monday after they found their school locked up with the doors and windows sealed even after the announcement of the Panchayat poll results a week ago.

Speaking on the turn of his fate from a rebel to representing the hopes and aspirations of thousands of people of his panchayat, Kishan recounted that he had revolted and set fire on Rengali Tehsil office to show his protest and teach the powers that be so that such injustice is not meted out to anyone else. 

The unusual incident was reported from Gangabada Panchayat in Rayagada Block of Gajapati district.

BJP leader and former cabinet minister Anjali Behera, who contested for Panchayat Samiti member seat from Giridhar Prasad Gram Panchayat under Hindol Block in Dhenkanal district, lost the recently held elections by 826 votes.

As the BJD has won maximum of zones in all the 30 districts, the Naveen Patnaik-led party is most likely to form all the ZPs

The landslide victory of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in the recently concluded Panchayat polls in Odisha was on account of the misuse of public money by the party for electoral gains, senior Congress leader Niranjan Patnaik alleged.

The senior BJP leader said the BJD leaders manage only 30 percent of the elections strategy while the major part is handled by officers.

Asked what prompted her to join politics, Hira said it was the sufferings of her fellow villagers in the aftermath of cyclone ‘Fani’ that made take the decision to change their lives

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) is ahead in around 90 percent seats in the recently concluded three-tier Panchayat elections as the counting of votes cintinues for the second day. 

Alleging discrepancy, the Pallahara Block unit of the saffron party alleged that the number of ballot papers used for voting didn’t match with the number of ballot papers found in the ballot boxes. 

The Naveen wave apparently has not worked in the southern district and the mandate seems to be in favour of the Congress party. 

A total of 2.2 lakh candidates contested in the elections. The SEC had declared 36,523 ward members, 126 sarpanch, 326 panchayat samiti members, and one Zilla Parishad member as uncontested winners.

The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) is confident of a landslide victory.

No incident of violence was reported during the re-polling.  

Counting for 315 Zilla Parishad zones will be conducted on February 26, while counting of votes for 307 and 229 ZP zones will be conducted on February 27 and 28, respectively

The Opposition party also raised apprehensions about fairness during the counting process which will begin tomorrow

Amid the poll violence, BJD Minister Bikram Arukh has been accused of booth rigging in Jilundi Panchayat under Bhanjanagar Police Station limits

The State Election Commission (SEC) said that the final phase recorded a voter turnout of over 70 percent by end of the voting today. The percentage is likely to go up after final compilation of data.