BHUBANESWAR: It's official now. The ruling Biju Janata Dal has emerged as the most successful party in the recently held three-tier panchayat polls.

According to the results announced by the State Election Commission with respect of 840 Zilla Parishad seats out of the total 854 seats on Sunday evening, the BJD bagged 339 seats spread over all the 30 districts of the State.

The Congress also improved upon its performance than the 2002 panchayat polls by winning 300 seats out of the total 840 for which the Commission officially announced results.

The Bharatiya Janata Party, BJD's partner in the State Government, fared badly in the Zilla Parishad polls. The party finished third by winning in 124 Zilla Parishad zones.

As per the results announced so far, BJD had been able to secure a majority in as many as nine districts such as Cuttack, Ganjam, Jajpur, Kendrapara, Nayagarh, Puri, Rayagada, Sonepur and Boudh.

The Congress was able to win a majority of Zilla Parishad seats in as many as seven districts such as Anugul, Jharsuguda, Jagatsinghpur, Kalahandi, Koraput, Nawrangpur and Sambalpur.

The BJP had been able to gain majority only in Deogarh district.

However, the BJD and BJP were likely to form Zilla Parishads in a majority of districts by way of forming alliance.

The picture, however, would be fully clear when the Election Commission announces the results with respect of the remaining 14 Zilla Parishad seats.

Congress charge

Meanwhile, the Pradesh Congress Committee blamed the Naveen Patnaik Government for using the official machinery to ensure defeat of its candidates in about 12 Zilla Parishad zones in the State.

Although the results were expected with respect of only 14 seats, the PCC president Jayadev Jena claimed at a press conference that the party's candidates had won in at least 320 seats as per the counting of votes soon after the polling was conducted in five different phases.

"The Biju Janata Dal was out to defeat by manipulating the votes polled," Mr. Jena alleged, while adding that the Election Commission had not agreed to his party's demand for recounting of votes in several Zilla Parishad zones.

KORAPUT: It's celebration time for Congress in the undivided Koraput district with three the party winning Koraput , Malkangiri and Nowrangpur Zilla Parishad elections.

In Koraput district Congress has secured 15 seats of Zilla Parishad against 14 by BJD. BJP drew blank in the elections. In Nowrangpur the Congress was in a comfortable position as it has won 15 seats while BJD and BJP won two and four seats respectively. Others won four seats.

In Malkangiri also Congress got majority seats in the Zilla Parishad. The party worn seven out of 15 seats.

However BJD has got a respite in Rayagada by winning 13 Zilla Parishad seats against 4 seats by Congress. BJP got two seats and others three seats.

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