Indramani Behera of BJD was elected chairman of Dhenkanal Municipality on Monday. On the basis of a lottery, the result was declared when there was a tie among the nominees of Congress and BJP and BJD.
The Congress had won 11 seats out of 23 in Dhenkanal. The BJD had won only six seats, while the BJP had won five and Kalinga Sena one. However, the BJD and the BJP agreed to share the chairmanship with the BJD to enjoy it for two years and the BJP for rest three years.
Behera of BJD agreed to assume the office for first two years. Naveen Dalei of BJP was also interested for the chairman post. The only candidate of Kalinga Sena abstained himself from voting as the Congress, BJD and BJP did not agree to spare the chairman seat for him. Kalinga Sena councillor Sisira Dalei did not turn up for voting.
Significantly, when the ballot box was opened for counting of votes, it was found that Congress nominee Rudranta Dalei and Indramani Behera of BJD had secured 11 votes each. Behera won the seat by lottery.
In Kamakhyanagar again BJD’s Dharmananda Parida made it to the top post of the NAC getting 11 votes out of 15, while Swarna Manjari Sahu of the BJD won the chairman seat at Bhuban.