Twelve out of the twenty seats up for election in the Zilla Parishad zone in Puri, Odisha, were won by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The BJP is expected to greatly benefit from this victory going into the Jharsuguda byelection on May 16. The BJP has been attempting to influence the political climate in Odisha, and this victory shows that the public supports the party.
Only four seats were won by the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in the local body elections. The BJP’s successful campaigning and robust grassroots network are credited with its victory in Puri. In addition to fielding candidates for all 20 seats, the party sent out senior leaders and workers to rally support before the vote.
The Jharsuguda byelection is important and seen as a bellwether for the 2024 assembly elections in Odisha. Following the death of BJD MLA Naba Kishore Das earlier this year, both the BJP and the BJD have fielded their candidates in the by-poll.
The BJP’s spokesperson, Sambit Patra, stated his confidence in winning the next by-election by saying, “The people of Odisha have made it quite clear that they support the BJP. The people have expressed support for the party’s development strategy and state vision. However, the BJP played down the significance of its victory in Puri, claiming that the local body elections were fought over distinct topics and that the election would be a whole different game.
In general, the BJP’s victory in the Puri Zilla Parishad zone is good for the party’s morale. Both the BJP and BJD are anticipated to exert their utmost efforts to win the important seat of Jharsuguda as the by-election draws near.