Religious: Lathipada in the Ganjam District, once considered a sensitive Panchayat during any election with cases of political violence in the past, has maintained peace this time with residents who decided to choose their nomination for rural polls to avoid tensions.
As the State Election Commission announced the schedule for the Pancrayat election, the police had registered Panchayat as a hyper-sensitive area.
The police, however, sighed for relief when the villagers decided to choose all their non-agreed nominations.
Panchayat has witnessed the murder of a supporter of political parties on April 18, 2019, during the vote for the State Assembly and Lok Sabha, when the supporters of the rival party attacked him in the village of Kadalijhola.
The police have arrested at least four people because they killed Santosh Pati.
“We have witnessed some violations of polls in the past.
The tension lasted for several years, while some people were in prison.
The development of Panchayat has taken the back seat for years because of persistent tension,” said Krushna Chandra Jena, a former member of Samiti.
“Therefore, this Panchayat occupants decided to choose Sarpanch, Samiti members and members of the environment, instead of elections to avoid further tension,” he said.
“In the meeting, we have chosen all representatives,” he added.
Subhasini Malkick and Satya Malkick have been selected not in respectively as Sarpanch and Samiti.
Similarly, the villagers have also chosen 10 ward members from 12 wards in Pancandak who are not primary.
Two other ward members have not been chosen because they do not attract candidates, said sources.
However, villagers will choose candidates Zilla Parishad in elections.
“I thank the villagers when they chose me as Sarpanch from Panchayat in a round voice,” Subhasini said.
“I will try to develop by consulting the villagers to make Panchayat become a model one and to restore peace,” he added.