The three-tier panchayat elections will be held in Odisha in five phases from February 16 with over 2.79 crore people set to exercise their franchise.
Polling will be held on February 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24. Counting of votes will take place on February 26, 27 and 28.
In view of the Covid threat, the state election commission has banned rallies and public meetings.
“Door-to-door campaigns will be allowed with only five people. Digital mode of campaign is allowed,” said state election commissioner Aditya Prasad Padhi here on Tuesday. Odisha will elect representatives for 853 zilla parishads, 91,913 wards and 6,794 panchayats.
The election to the rural bodies is a litmus test for the three major parties — BJD, BJP and Congress — as they are being seen as the semi final ahead of the main battle in 2024. As it is, the ruling BJD enjoys an edge over its two rivals as it goes to the rural polls fresh from its victory in the recently held Pipili Assembly byelection.
“The BJP is more or less confined to urban and semi urban areas in Odisha. But once it is able to make inroads into the rural areas it will pose a serious threat to the BJD in the coming general election.
“The biggest challenge for the BJD is to ensure that does not happen,” said senior journalist Ashutosh Mishra.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik has already toured almost all the districts and taken part in various programmes including the distribution of Biju Swasthya cards. In a clever move he also raised the age limit for government services from 28 to 32.
For the BJP, on the other hand , it is an opportunity to consolidate its position in rural areas which can be used as a springboard for the 2024 general elections.
“It will be a tough challenge for the BJP led by
Union education minister Dharmendra Pradhan in the state to make a dent in BJD’s vote-bank,” said a political analyst.
BJP MP Suresh Pujari said: “People in the rural belt will certainly vote for us. They have realised that this government will not deliver. They are impressed with the performance of the Narendra Modi government, particularly its pro people action during the pandemic.”
However, it will be a massive challenge for the Congress leadership to prove its mettle as the party has been lurching from one crisis to another since being thrown out of power in the state 21 years ago.
With its limited resources it would try to cash in on the anger of the people against the BJP-led Centre on the issue of rising prices of essential commodities and Naveen’s failure to act on various sensitive issues including the much talked about Mamita Meher murder case.
President, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) Niranjan Patnaik said: “Both BJP and the BJD’s stand have been exposed on various issues. People will reject them.”
