BJP seeks change of poll date in Ganjam district for fest

The BJP today urged the Election Commission to change the date of pollings in Ganjam district in view of the 'Danda Nata', a major religious dance festival of the district.
A BJP delegation led by former MP Surendra Lath moved the EC and informed the poll panel that 'Danda Nata' is a 21-day festival being organised from March 25 to April 13.
It being a mass festival, the polling date of April 10 need to be changed to April 17, party sources said.
According to the EC announcement, there will be two phase elections in the state -- 10 Lok Sabha seats and 70 assembly constituencies on April 10 and 11 LS seats and 77 assembly seats on April 17.

Two Lok Sabha seats, Berhampur and Aska, and 13 assembly constituencies come under Ganjam district.
The party said since there is another date (April 17) for polling in the state, it will be better to exclude Ganjam district from the first phase of polls.

A report from Ganjam district said that the young and adults in villages take part in the Danda Nata to worship Lord Shiva and Shakti, which will come to end on Maha Visubha Shamkranti on April 14.
The participants will remain away from their houses during the period and hence will not be able to cast their votes.

Troupes from almost all the villages in the district roam from village to village and perform the dance ritual before the house of a person who invites them.
Besides Ganjam, people of Kandhamal, Gajapati and Nayagarh districts too take part in the festival. The elections in these districts will also be held on the first phase of poll on April 10.