The dream of the BJD to capture all the 17 urban local bodies in Ganjam district, apart from the Berhampur Municipal Corporation, remained unrealised, as the Congress managed to grab two ULBs and independent one.
The BJD got majority in 14 ULBs in Ganjam, the home district of the party president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. The BJD faced defeat in Kodala Notified Area Council (NAC), where independent candidates, led by former chairperson Haraprasad Sahu, won 10 wards, leaving only two wards to the ruling party. Mr. Sahu was earlier in the BJD and had been suspended from the party during the 2012 panchayat elections. Mr. Sahu did not join any party after his suspension.
The Congress managed to save face by obtaining a clear majority in Buguda and Polasara urban bodies. Out of 13 wards in the Buguda NAC, Congress candidates won seven, the BJD four, and independents two. But in Polasara, the Congress won 17 out of 19 wards and the BJD two. There was no looking back for the BJD in the other 14 urban bodies.
In the Hinjli NAC, which is part of Mr. Naveen’s constituency, the Congress could win only one ward and independents won four. It was a cakewalk for the BJD, as its 10 candidates won. The final score for the BJD in this 21-member NAC was 16.
In the Chikiti NAC, BJD candidates won all the wards. In Purushottampur too the BJD candidates won all the 14 wards.
Out of 15 wards in Bhanjanagar urban body, 12 were won by the BJD and three by the Congress. In the 13-member Belaguntha NAC too the mandate was in favour of the BJD, as it bagged seven wards. The Congress won five and independent one. In Sorada NAC, the BJD won nine wards and the Congress two.
In Aska, the BJD bagged 16 out of 18 wards. The BJD got a majority in the Gopalpur NAC by winning eight out of 11 wards and the Congress bagged the remaining wards. In Khallikote, while the Congress won two wards, the BJD won 10.
It was a close fight at Digaphandi NAC, which has 11 wards. Here, the BJD won six wards, the Congress four, and the CPI (M) one. In the Kavisuryanagar NAC, the BJD got a majority by winning 14 out of 18 wards, independents three, and Congress one. In the district headquarters town of Chatrapur, nine out of 14 wards were bagged by the BJD. Congress candidates won three and the CPI one. The BJP, which put up a dismal performance in Ganjam district, won a few seats in Rambha and Ganjam NACs. In Rambha, the BJP candidate won one seat and the BJD eight. In the Ganjam NAC, no Congress candidate could register a win. The BJD won six, the BJP four, and independents two.
