The results for Adityapur Municipal Council, the urban local body that caters to a population of over 100,000 in Adityapur and Gamharia, and chairman — a post reserved for an ST woman candidate this time — and 32 ward councillors were declared today.
BJP-backed candidate Radha Sandil, a non-matric, who is known as niece of former Chief Minister Arjun Munda, emerged winner defeating her JMM supported adversary Rashmi Murmu, a PG in political science by nearly 9,500 votes.
Radhan Sandil garnered 16,873 votes while Rashmi Murmu could only grab 7,342 votes. Ghaso Besra polled 6,592 votes to finish third.
However, Radha Sandil (45) strongly refused that her relation with Arjun Munda or BJP connection had anything to do with her victory.
“I am grateful to BJP supporters for helping me throughout in my campaigning and my relation has nothing to do with it,” said Sandil a non matriculate and a resident of Adityapur Road Number 8.
A huge rally was taken out by Sandil supporters led by BJP state secretary Shailendra Kumar and BJP Yuva Morcha (ST) cell Seraikela Kharswan district president Ganesh Mahali on the Tata- Kandra road after the announcement of the result at around 2 pm.
On the other hand, Rashmi Murmu who is a senior functionary of a NGO Kalamandir claimed that JMM leaders though gave her blessing but did not openly supported her during the campaigning which led to her defeat at the poll.
In the Seraikela Notified Area Committee, incumbent chairman Arunima Singhdeo, wife of Seraikela scion retained her post polling 2,772 votes while her nearest rival Meenakshi Patnaik could only garner 2,504 votes.