The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Orissa seems to be well ahead of its two main rivals — the Congress and the BJP — in the ongoing panchayat elections.
According to unofficial sources, in the first phase of polls held for 194 zila parishad seats on Saturday, the BJD candidates won 133 while 31 went to the Congress. The BJP bagged six while the Independents and others got 14 seats. Results of 10 other seats were yet to be known.
The results or the five-phase polls will be officially announced on February 22. Preliminary reports suggest that the BJD has done exceedingly well in Cuttack and Jagatsinghpur districts by winning all the nine and six zila parishad seats, respectively.
In Ganjam, Dhenkanal, Balasore, Bhadrak, Kalahandi, Nuapara and Sonepur the party candidates have won maximum number seats.
In Sundergarh district, the BJD has failed to live up to its reputation. It has got only one of the eight zila parishad seats.
In the troubled Kandhamal, the Congress has surprisingly done better than the BJD. It has got three of the four seats. The party has also fared better in Koraput, Malkangiri and Rayagada.
The BJP, except in Bolangir, has been able to register good results. Of the four seats for which polls were held, it got two. It won one seat each in Puri, Bhadrak, Kandhamal and Sambalpur districts.
The second, third, fourth and fifth phase of elections will be held on February 13, 15, 17 and 19, respectively. The results of the panchayat polls are likely to have bearings on the 2014 Assembly elections.