By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: Even though, BJD sweeping Zilla Parishad seats across the State, initial trend from Kendrapara’s Rajkanika block, coming as a jolt for ruling Party’s sitting Aul MLA Pratap Deb, who had been under scanner for his dubious role in the Kharasrota River water dispute issue.
Candidates backed by the Kharasrota Banchao Sangram Samiti, are leading by more than 300 to 450 votes for the post of Sarapanch and Samiti members in Bharigada and Barunadiha Panchayat, counting of which is going at Rajkanika block headquarters.
People of Bharigada and Barunadiha Panchayats have been protesting lifting of water from the River for a drinking water project for Bhadrak, which clearly reflected in voting in these 2 Panchayats, where BJD backed candidate are far behind from winning margin.
Till last reports came, BJD backed candidates are far behind from the Sangram Samiti backed candidates in these 2 Panchayats.
Interestingly, Pari Murder, Mahanga double murder and Mamita Meher murder failed to influence voting in Nayagarh, Mahanga and Kalahandi’s Junagarh but Kharasrota river dispute has impacted a lot on Aul-Rajkanika with river side villages voted against Pratap Deb backed candidates if initial trends taken into considerations. MLA Pratap Deb had campaigned several times seeking votes for BJD backed candidates in these 2 Panchayats, which seems not impacted on local villagers, who were opposed to water lifting from Kharasrota to Bhadrak.
Local farmers in Rajkanika and Aul blocks were arguing that while preparing the project for Bhadrak, the State Government had skipped rivers Baitarani, Salandi, Mantei and Kansabansa which are major rivers in the State and instead preferred to extract water from Kharasrota, the smallest river in the State.Locals living both sides of River Kharasrota ,feels their lifeline will be dried if water lifted for two projects and that clearly visible in voting.
