Youth, education and talent: How Naveen Patnaik is attempting to rewrite the prerequisites for electoral success
Bhubaneswar
By-Love Gaur
Bhubaneswar:
Naveen Patnaik’s party Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has created history by doing wonders once again in Odisha. The BJD created history by forming Zilla Parishads in all 30 districts of Odisha, in which 70 percent of the chairpersons of these Panchayati Raj Institutions are women. Party MP Pinaki Mishra on Sunday said the “unprecedented victory” of the party is the result of the unwavering faith of voters under the leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
In Odisha’s Zilla Parishad elections, the BJD has won a landslide victory in all the 30 districts. He said that for the first time in the history of Odisha and probably in the entire country, a single party has constituted Zilla Parishads in all the districts of a state. The most important thing here is that 70 percent of the Zilla Parishad presidents are women. Party leaders said that the Chief Minister has chosen young, educated and talented party workers as Zilla Parishad Presidents.
Biju Janata Dal (BJD) registered victory in Odisha’s Zilla Parishad polls, with the party winning in all 30 districts
pic.twitter.com/2R6fuB3cck— ANI (@ANI)
March 13, 2022
The average age of Zilla Parishad presidents is 41 years. Saraswati Manjhi, 23, has been elected the youngest Zilla Parishad president. B.Sc graduate Manjhi will now lead the development activities in Rayagada district. Keeping in mind such remote areas, CM Naveen Patnaik has elected Samri Tangul as Zilla Parishad President in Swabhiman Aanchal Malkangiri. She is 26 years old and has studied till 12th standard.
Similarly, Saraswati Manjhi is also a resident of remote Kashipur block. Kumudini Nayak of Sambalpur district hails from Far Bamra block. 21 women have been elected as Zilla Parishad presidents, which is 70 percent of the total seats, while 50 percent of the seats are reserved for women in the state.
Major districts of Mayurbhanj, Ganjam, Keonjhar, Sundergarh, Bolangir, Sambalpur and undivided Koraput districts (except Navrangpur) are headed by women Zilla Parishad presidents. In 18 unreserved seats (including women), 12 OBC candidates (67 percent) have been made Zilla Parishad presidents. In his own home district Ganjam, Naveen Patnaik has elected an OBC woman candidate as the Zilla Parishad President.
Of the 30 districts, 15 (50 per cent) have zilla parishad presidents below 40 years of age and 23 (76 per cent) out of 30 districts have council presidents below 50 years of age. BJD leaders said the selected candidates would They have a relatively “high educational qualification”, with 18 district council presidents having completed their graduation and 26 of them having completed at least 12 levels of education. The BJD had registered a resounding victory in the three-tier panchayat elections last month by winning 766 of the 852 seats held in five phases on February 16, February 18, February 20, February 22 and February 24.
