JAGATSINGHPUR Sep 03. The BJD and the Congress are neck to neck in the Urban Local Body elections to Jagatsinghpur municipality, both parties have fielded candidates in all 21 wards spread in municipal area while BJP is contesting in 9 councilor seats.
With the chairman post is unreserved this time, out of 21 municipality wards, 11 wards are reserved for women candidates, the ruling BJD party has sponsored 12 women candidates including one women is contesting in one OBCC reserved ward and Congress too has fielded 11 numbers womenfolk in elections and BJP’s women candidates are contesting in 4 wards.
As the electioneering process has begun, the BJD posters, banners and billboards proclaim its pioneering role in steering in development in the area under the leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patniak , whilethe Congress party has not lagged behind displaying posters and banners stating its union government’s efforts ushering in development and numerous pro poor measures with regard to development of urban areas.
Besides door to door campaigning has started by both the parties including BJP supporters, while BJD who was previously occupied municipality chairman post is relying its developmental works done during its tenure to woo voters on the other hand the Congress and saffron party candidates are highlighting the poor conditions of drainage system, roads, slow progress of drinking water supply projects, power crisis , lack of parking facility and many more issues affecting urban citizen during the five year rule of the BJD at Jagatsinghpur municipality.
The congress party is facing the ULB polls under leadership of former legislator and PCC treasurer Chiranjeev Biswal while senior MLA and BJD president Bishnu Das is heading the responsibility of municipality elections.
The congress perpetually alleged that the BJD led municipality looted chunk of money allotted for the development of Jagatsinghpur after the party captured municipality two times consecutively, the residents are facing numerous problems , the municipality has failed to deliver good works , we feel an anti ruling party flow is blowing against BJD as result Congress will take its advantage , informed Chiranjeev Biswal , the Congress party chief campaigner of Jagatsinghpur municipality.
senior MLA Bishnu Das refuted the allegation, we constructed roads, market complexes, bus stand, street lights installation, sanitation works, besides constructed municipality own building, a Kalyan Mandap however many developmental works are under progress, and admitted lack of drainage facility in municipality but quipped the drainage system master plan has been approved by state urban development department and work would begun very soon, he maintained.
The BJP had received one councilor in 2008 ULB polls in Jagatsinghpur municipality , that time the saffron party had made alliance with BJD, but the ongoing municipality polls has exposed BJP’s inability fielding candidates for the elections, out of 21 municipality wards BJP is contesting in nine wards, as the ULB elections reservation procedure adopted strictly we became unable fielding appropriate candidates from various categories, but there will be triangular contest where BJP has fielded candidates , BJD’s 10 years misrules at Jagatsinghpur municipality are the main poll planks of the party, informed Upendra Biswal , district BJP president.
However Residents are not impressed with their perennial problems have made life miserable them since years and no issue surfaces as the elections are under progress will affect ruling BJD, the Congress who had obtained 8 wards in last 2008 municipality elections likely add one or two councilor seats in its favour while BJD is trying to retain its 12 wards what they got in last municipality elections and captured municipality chairman post.
About 23, 485 voters comprise in 21 wards from Jagatsinghpur municipality will cast their votes on 19 September , civil administration and police have made elaborate arrangements to hold the elections free and fair , 28 election booths have been proposed to establish, 30 Electronic Voting Machines [EVM]would be utilized and about 124 poll personnel will be deployed during municipality elections, we are fully prepared conducting the ongoing ULB elections incident free, informed S K Mallick district magistrate cum Collector Jagatsinghpur while interacting with local scribes on Monday.
