By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, February 22, 2017 : Odisha Odisha chief minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday tried to give an impression that losing nearly 200 Zilla Parishad seats in panchayat polls was not a major issue for him.

While addressing the party’s lawmakers minutes before the Budget session of the Assembly began, Mr Patnaik told them that despite his party losing at so many places, the BJD had emerged number one in the poll.

“The BJD is still number one choice of voters in Odisha. Although we have lost some seats in comparison to our 2012 figure, our candidates have won from maximum number of seats. This reflects that our party enjoys the confidence more number of people than the opposition parties. We will try to improve our performance in the seats where our candidates have lost elections,” Mr Patnaik said while addressing party’s lawmakers minutes before the budget session of the state Assembly began with Governor’s address.

The five-phase rural polls which concluded on Tuesday witnessed the BJD for the first time in its 17 years of rule facing serious challenge to its hegemony from the BJP. The saffron party which had got only 36 Zilla Parishad seats in 2012 and finished third in the list, – gave the BJD a run for its money this time by bagging 307 seats as against 459 won by the ruling party.

The Odisha CM blamed his Chhattisgarh counterpart Raman Singh for what he said waging a misinformation campaign on the Mahanadi water row in Odisha.

“The Chhattisgarh CM fed all wrong information to the people of Odisha during his poll campaign in the western parts of the state. The BJD will fight it politically,” Mr Patnaik said.

While appreciating the party MLAs who led the party’s official nominees to victory in their respective constituencies, Naveen also indicated actions against the ministers and law makers where the party nominees failed to register win.

Emerging out of the BJD Legislature Party (BJDLP) meeting, Mr Patnaik said he would give his reaction on the poll results only after outcome of the five-phase elections are announced on February 25.