BJD grabs zilla parishads seats in all 30 districts of Odisha

Bhubaneswar: After securing almost 90 per cent of the zilla parishad seats in Odisha, the ruling BJD on Sunday scripted history by forming councils in all the 30 districts of the state.

As per the ruling party, 70 per cent of the ZP presidents are women. They are heading ZPs in 21 of the 30 districts.

Large districts such as Mayurbhanj, Ganjam, Keonjhar, Sundargarh, Balangir and Sambalpur are headed by women zilla parishad presidents, reported PTI.

“For the first time in the history of Odisha, and probably across the country, a single party has formed zilla parishads in all the districts of the state,” BJD vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra said.

Meanwhile, the BJD said that its members have been elected as panchayat samity chairpersons in 278 of the 314 blocks of the state.

Elections to the post were held on Friday.

The BJP has won 21 blocks, while the Congress secured 13 blocks, and the CPI (M) three. The BJP drew a blank in 17 districts, and the Congress in 22.

In all, the BJD has won 88.5 per cent of the panchayat samity chairperson posts.

The Congress has been routed in the coastal region barring Puri, whereas the BJP comparatively performed well in western Odisha but also faced a routed in the coastal parts of the state.