The ruling BJD constituted councils in the highest 48 of the 66 Urban local Bodies (UlBs), including in the prestigious Brahmapur Municipal Council by winning posts of chairpersons, the elections for which were held on Monday. BJP, which had suffered the worst-ever debacle among the three major political parties in the September19 UlB polls, sprang a surprise by managing to capture the post of chairperson in two civic bodies in a last minute political manoeuvring.
As per the results of the election for the posts of chairpersons announced by the State Election Commission (SEC), the Congress came second by winning in 11 UlBs four less than its claims, while the Independents, forging their unity ,were successful in constituting councils in five UlBs including Jatni , Anandpur, Kodala , Buguda and Koraput. The Congress and the BJD with seven seats each had claimed to form the council at Koraput. But the lone Independent member Biswa Bhushan Patnaik on support of BJD got elected to the top civic body post. However, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik claimed that the BJD had won 49 UlBs.
In the September 19 UlB elections, while the BJD had swept the polls by grabbing 40 UlBs, the Congress had decisively own in 10 urban bodies, while no party had got majority in 13 UlBs. In 2008 UlB polls, while BJD had bagged 40 UlBs, Congress and BJP had captured nine each. Considering the final results, the BJD and the Congress both increased their tally this time, while the BJP was a loser by seven.
The BJP which emerged as the single largest party in Rairangpur by winning seven of the 12 wards won the post of chairperson with the support of the lone Independent candidate. But the saffron party with only two councillors in the Barbail NAC got the chairman post with support of the BJD.
The Congress emerged as the single largest party with seven councillors in the Badbil NAC and one short of forming the council. The BJD having five councillors here managed to persuade its arch rival BJP in forming a non-Congress unity. Similarly, seeking the saffron party’s unequivocal support in Dhenkanal, the BJD got the chairman seat. Dhenkanal UlB went in favour of the BJD through a lottery as there was a tie despite the support of the BJP to the ruling party candidate.
Since the election for the post of Mayer was held for the first time in Brahmapur on being accorded the status of a municipal corporation, this was a prestige issue for the BJD as it is Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s home district.
The BJD which was sure to form the council not only won the Mayer’s post but managed to get five Congress votes in its favour in a cross voting. The BJD here was able to form the council in a hat-trick term.
In a high drama, Puri civic body’s top post went to the ruling party’s Jayanta Kumar Sarangi following the withdrawal of nomination by Gorahari Pradhan of Congress. There was a tie in three UlBs- Dhenkanal, Kotpad and Bhadrakh, where the chairperson posts went in favour of the BJD.
Reacting over the results of the elections, Chief Minister and BJD chief Patnaik stated that he was delighted with the results. Patnaik said that BJD own in 49 UlBs with 74 per cent of the results went in favour of his party.
However, the PCC chief Jayadev Jena was critical of the ruling party as far as the results were concerned. He alleged that the ruling party managed every thing taking the help of money and muscle power to take the results in its favour.