Putting all speculations to rest, the BJD performed quite well in most of the UlB elections in Baleswar district. The party is all set to form council in the Baleswar Municipality, where it has clinched as many as 17 seats out of the total 31.
Several new faces won the elections by comfortable margins. It may be recalled that the municipality was under the grip of Independents for the last three terms due to the influential role of late Anup Das. In the 2008 elections, not a single councillor had won on the BJD symbol.
The numbers of Congress and BJP councillors were five and four, respectively, with the rest 22 being Independents. Sujata Das, wife of Anup Das, headed the council with the support of the Independents.
Sujata Das joined the BJD recently and has also won this time from Ward-10.
Anup Das’ younger brother Swaroop Das, who was fighting as an Independent, won by defeating Bhagat Sahu of the Congress.
However, his wife won on Congress ticket.
The Congress this time won six seats and the BJP one and the rest seven went to Independents.
The results were marked by big upsets. Sitting councillor Sujit Dev of the BJD, who was an aspirant for the chairman’s post, lost to his Congress rival Padmalochan lenka, the town president of the party.
However, his wife Rashmirekha Dev, a newcomer in the BJD, won. Similarly, sitting vice-chairman Manoj Rout of the Congress lost the election.
In the Jaleswar NAC in the district, the Congress won the majority with 12 seats out of the total 17 while the BJD and Independent won two each and the BJP one.
In the Nilgiri NAC, the BJD got majority with seven seats, the Congress two, the BJP one and Independents three. In the Soro NAC, while the Congress bagged eight seats, the BJP six and the BJD five.