Elections for panchayat samiti chairpersons held in Odisha

The elections were held for the post of panchayat samiti chairpersons in Odisha today.
Of the total 314 blocks in the state, the elections this time were held in 307 blocks, according to the State Election Commission (SEC).
The panchayat samiti members today elected the chairpersons, SEC sources said adding that the panchayat samiti elections were not held on party symbols.
However, different political parties had supported the candidates and therefore claimed to have captured the panchayat samitis, said an official of the SEC.
The ruling BJD claimed to have captured 71 per cent of the 307 blocks where elections for the posts of panchayat samiti chairpersons were held.

"Though the BJP could secure 297 zilla parishad seats and emerged as the second largest party, the same party could form panchayat samiti only in 29 blocks. The Congress could form panchayat samiti in 45 blocks while BJD took the lion share of 218 blocks," BJD spokesman Sashibhusan Behera claimed at a press conference here.

Behera claimed that candidates supported by the BJD won in 218 blocks followed by 45 blocks by Congress and 29 blocks by BJP.
Other parties and Independents formed panchayat samiti in 15 other blocks, he claimed.
However, BJP state vice-president Prithiwraj Harichandan said: "We have information regarding BJP forming panchayat samiti in 70 to 72 blocks."

He rejected the BJD's claim that the BJP could form panchayat samiti only in 29 blocks.
Congress leader Md Moquim claimed the panchayat samiti results indicated that the Congress was still strong at the village level.