After the completion of the BMC Mayor election, the political barometer in the capital city is on the rise as the race for the Deputy Mayor post has gained unusual momentum with the aspirants making a mad rush to the power corridors.
Although the names of aspirants are many, those of Biranchi Narayan Mahasupkar and Nrupesh Nayak are on the forefront. Biranchi had successful innings many times as a Corporator and his claim for the post is obvious. But the electorate is well aware about his activities starting from his builder’s link dragging him into unending bags of land disputes.
The citizens are also well aware of his alleged role in shady sand dealings, which has somewhat tarnished his image, that stands diametrically opposite to the popular clean image of BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik.
Nrupesh was elected as a Corporator for 2008 to 2013 while his wife Seema Nayak was elected from 2014 January to 2019 January for the second term as a Corportator. This is for the third time that Nrupesh has been elected in 2022 onwards with a decisive victory. Being a family member of former Minister and BJD heavyweight Surendra Nayak,
Nrupesh has maintained his clean image by engaging himself in social activities like blood donation camps, distribution of winter clothes and in plantation drives to make Bhubaneswar green. He has already planted over 45,000 trees in Bhubaneswar streets in his mission to provide a green cover to the city.
As an Orinthologist, he has set up a shape haven for birds in his bird sanctuary located at the sands of Konark. The slum dwellers of Bhubaneswar find in him a Good Samaritan, who comes to the aid of the downtrodden mass during the Covid pandemic or cyclone. It remains to be seen how the party is going to decide the nomination to the post of Deputy Mayor and the electorate is waiting with baited breath for the same.