BHUBANESWAR: As the organisational polls of the BJD have started from Friday, all eyes are now on the post of district presidents and State office bearers which will be announced during next two months in the course of the elections.
The organisational districts of the BJD have been increased to 33 from 31 to give more focus on areas where the party’s performance was not satisfactory in the 2019 Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.
While Rourkela will be a new organisational district, Mayurbhanj has been divided into two districts - Mayurbhanj Sadar and Mayurbhanj.
The BJD is focusing on organisational restructuring in Sundargarh and Mayurbhanj districts ahead of the urban local body (ULB) polls expected early next year as the party’s performance had not been satisfactory in these districts in Lok Sabha and Assembly elections.
While the Mayurbhanj Lok Sabha seat was held by BJD for two terms in 2009 and 2014, the BJP wrested it in 2019 elections. Similarly, former Union Minister and senior BJP leader Jual Oram was elected from Sundargarh Lok Sabha constituency.
In 2019 Assembly elections, the BJD had won only three out of nine seats while six seats had gone to BJP. The election result from the Sundargarh district was fractured.
However, the BJP had won three Assembly seats in the districts followed by BJD which bagged two seats. One seat each had been won by Congress and CPM.
The organisational polls of the BJD will be held in five phases from December 27 to February 26. The first phase polls, which have already started, will continue till January 13 for the election of presidents and committee members of gram panchayats and wards in urban areas.
The district committee presidents and members will be elected in the third phase from January 30 to February 15.
Sources said in most of the districts, there will be no election for the post of president. The leadership wants consensus candidates to be the next district presidents.
Similarly, many State office bearers have already been announced during the year. It remains to be seen whether a new set of office-bearers will be announced or the old group will be continue.