No word from Odisha government on ULB polls yet, BJP to seek Governor Ganeshi Lal's help

BHUBANESWAR: With no word from the State government on holding elections to the urban local bodies (ULBs), the BJP on Sunday decided to seek the intervention of Governor Ganeshi Lal to resolve the constitutional crisis.

A week ago, the saffron party had threatened to move an impeachment motion against the State Election Commissioner (SEC) in Parliament for violating the constitutional provisions for not holding elections to the ULBs after three years of expiry of the last elected councils.

A meeting of the State municipal committee of the BJP convened by senior leader and former minister KV Singhdeo had a threadbare discussion on the deteriorating situation in the 120 ULBs including six municipal corporations which are devoid of elected councils for the last three years.

With dengue spreading in the State Capital, the committee came down heavily on the government and the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) for their failure to check the vector-borne disease. "This has exposed the inefficiency of the BMC and the hollow claims of the government about the Smart City status of Bhubaneswar," said BJP State president Samir Mohanty.

Claiming that the civic administration has collapsed in the State and residents are suffering insurmountable problems, Mohanty said the administrators are involved in rampant corruption. The poor drainage system of the city is only indicative of the state of affairs in other municipal areas, he added.

"The adverse conditions prevailing across the State due to Covid pandemic have thrown a challenge to us. We must try to turn this disadvantageous situation to an opportunity and connect with the people through padayatras in all the wards," said Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi.

Emphasising on further strengthening of party organisations in all wards of the 120 civic bodies in the State, Sarangi said the protest against corruption and mismanagement should be louder.

Presiding over the meeting, Singhdeo said the Congress is silent because of its tacit understanding with the BJD. The next fight in the civic and panchayat election will be directly between the BJP and the BJD, he added.