Thursday, February 22, 2007

Feb 22, 2007: The New Indian Express (Feb 21, 2007 Issue)

Celebration in Bhawanipatna
Wednesday February 21 2007 10:11 IST

BHAWANIPATNA: It was celebration time in Congress camp on Monday night after the party bagged 19 of the 36 ZP seats in the district at the end of the fourth phase.

In the triangular contest, according to available information, Congress has won 19 seats, BJP 11, BJD four and Independents two. According to poll pundits, the failure of the allies to reach an agreement on seat sharing cost them dear and placed Congress in an advantageous position.

Now the shocked BJP-BJD camp is tight-lipped and unable to react to the debacle. While BJD president Kiran Chandra Singhdeo was never in favour of an alliance with BJP, absence of Lok Sabha member Bikram Keshari Deo, who is recovering from illness, the election responsibility of BJP was left to MLA Pradipta Kumar Naik, who at present is not enjoying too much of popularity.

In such a scenario, Congress is strengthening its organisational network in the district aiming at the next Assembly and Parliament elections.

Meanwhile, the elected ZP members of Congress were introduced to media persons on Tuesday. Besides district Congress president Rasabihari Behera, senior leaders Jagannath Pattnaik, Bhupender Singh and Bhakta Charan Das attended the meet.

DCC president Rasabihari Behera said the mandate in Kalahandi was in favour of Congress. Congress will further consolidate its position in the district, he asserted.

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