ZP Polls: Heavyweights in fray

PURI: Hectic electioneering is being witnessed in Puri with a number of political heavyweights being in fray in the  ZP polls. Some of them include outgoing ZP president Sankershan Parida, former Puri panchayat samiti chairman Dibakar Patra, former block chairmen of Nimapara, Kanas, Pipili and Gop Pradipta Khatei, Gobind Sahoo, Asrti Pattnaik and Surendra Behera respectively.Of the 3,551 polling booths, 1,867 have been identified as sensitive, said District Panchayat Officer P K Mallick.As many as 167 candidates are in fray for the 33-member ZP while 854 are fighting for 230 sarpanch posts. While 6,070 candidates are contesting for 3,551 ward member posts, no one has filed papers for 168 posts.