The filing of nomination for elections to nine municipalities and 12 NACs all over western Odisha began on Monday but amid chaotic situation. Nowhere was the situation normal, even in some places, Section144 was clamped to prevent any untoward situation.
Elections in Sambalpur and Rourkela, two major places of western Odisha, would be held at a later phase since they have been declared corporations recently. But for the rest 21 places, the process began on Monday.
However, chaotic situation prevailed as the associations of the lawyers and that of the central action committee (CAC) spearheading a movement for establishment of High Court bench in western Odisha stuck to its earlier stand of ‘no vote if no court’ and demanded that the State Government make a specific recommendation to the Centre on the issue.
At Balangir, the members of the Kosal Kranti Dal (KKD) observed the day as ‘Dhikkar Dibas’ protesting the attitude of the Cuttack High Court Bar Association, which is against the establishment of High Court bench anywhere in the State. However, situation at Jharsuguda was totally different with filing of 34 nominations from the candidates of two major political parties, BJD and Congress. 12 candidates of BJD and 22 from Congress filed nomination for the elections amidst protest from the advocates, informed Sub Collector Sukanta Tripathy.
Similarly at Kuchinda, only one candidate filed nomination on Monday and 19 papers had been sold. At Bargarh, only two Independent candidates filed their nominations, informed Collector of Bargarh BG Mishra. But none at Barpali filed nomination on the first day, Mishra added. However, filing of nomination for Padmapur NAC was completed earlier and scrutiny would only be made this time, he informed.
Similarly, none filed nomination at Deogarh on Monday, informed District Collector SS Nayak. Taking the prevailing situation in view, adequate police arrangements have been made everywhere to provide safety to the candidates desirous of filing nomination and taking part in the election process, said Sambalpur Collector Balwant Singh and DIG (NR) Sanjay Kumar.
“We request everybody to cooperate in the holding of free and fair elections,” Singh said. The other district administrative heads have also come up with similar appeal for the forthcoming elections to the urban local bodies (UlBs).