Congress hopes to fish in troubled waters
KORAPUT: The BJD and the BJP having parted their ways, the Congress is hoping to take advantage of the situation in Koraput Notified Area Council (NAC) election due on September 19.
If the Congress has its dream fulfilled it will be a sort of revenge the party was long waiting to take against the ruling party. In 2008 the party missed power by a whisker. It won seven out of 15 seats, but could not come to power.
The BJD and the BJP were sailing in one boat then as alliance partners. The BJD had won five and BJP two seats respectively. It did not take much time for them to rope in the lone BSP candidate.
The chairperson post reserved for ST woman, the BJP got its member in the seat as the BJD's ST woman had lost the election.
The scenario has since changed a lot. The BJD, BJP are no more in alliance. And that the NAC has been expanded with 21 seats. The BJP this time has not been able to field its candidates in all the wards. All this has buoyed up the Congress hope to form the council this time.
"Koraput denizens have seen the misrule of the ruling BJD. It is the party workers, who have benefitted through corrupt means. The quality of road work can be gauged from the cracks and potholes," said former local MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati.
Koraput MLA Raghuram Padal refuted the allegations. "The NAC had never before seen such development works. The state government has been very supportive of our plans. We are sure the win the urban body election," he said.
The party boasts of safe drinking water supply, electricity and all-weather roads to at least 10 villages under its jurisdiction. "Around Rs 10 crore was spent on constructing a children park and a kalyan mandap, beside other welfare works," said executive officer of Koraput NAC Alok Ranjan Samantray.
Sources said after the sanitation system was privatized with a monthly payment of Rs 4.6 lakh in 2009, the whole town wore a hygienic look with clean drains, while garbage is being lifted at regular intervals.
Two water bodies were renovated and CFL street lights fixed along a six-km stretch of the NH-26, passing through the town. Besides, five high-mast lights under the Integrated Action Plan (IAP) were installed at important junctions.
The BJP, though has fielded only 16 candidates, hopes to do better. "We had certain problems for which candidates in all wards could not be decided. But we will do well," said BJP state secretary Bhrigu Bakshipatra.
Source - TOI - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/Congress-hopes-to-fish-in-troubled-waters/articleshow/22389594.cms
If the Congress has its dream fulfilled it will be a sort of revenge the party was long waiting to take against the ruling party. In 2008 the party missed power by a whisker. It won seven out of 15 seats, but could not come to power.
The BJD and the BJP were sailing in one boat then as alliance partners. The BJD had won five and BJP two seats respectively. It did not take much time for them to rope in the lone BSP candidate.
The chairperson post reserved for ST woman, the BJP got its member in the seat as the BJD's ST woman had lost the election.
The scenario has since changed a lot. The BJD, BJP are no more in alliance. And that the NAC has been expanded with 21 seats. The BJP this time has not been able to field its candidates in all the wards. All this has buoyed up the Congress hope to form the council this time.
"Koraput denizens have seen the misrule of the ruling BJD. It is the party workers, who have benefitted through corrupt means. The quality of road work can be gauged from the cracks and potholes," said former local MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati.
Koraput MLA Raghuram Padal refuted the allegations. "The NAC had never before seen such development works. The state government has been very supportive of our plans. We are sure the win the urban body election," he said.
The party boasts of safe drinking water supply, electricity and all-weather roads to at least 10 villages under its jurisdiction. "Around Rs 10 crore was spent on constructing a children park and a kalyan mandap, beside other welfare works," said executive officer of Koraput NAC Alok Ranjan Samantray.
Sources said after the sanitation system was privatized with a monthly payment of Rs 4.6 lakh in 2009, the whole town wore a hygienic look with clean drains, while garbage is being lifted at regular intervals.
Two water bodies were renovated and CFL street lights fixed along a six-km stretch of the NH-26, passing through the town. Besides, five high-mast lights under the Integrated Action Plan (IAP) were installed at important junctions.
The BJP, though has fielded only 16 candidates, hopes to do better. "We had certain problems for which candidates in all wards could not be decided. But we will do well," said BJP state secretary Bhrigu Bakshipatra.
Source - TOI - http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/bhubaneswar/Congress-hopes-to-fish-in-troubled-waters/articleshow/22389594.cms