The Posco Pratirodh Sangram Samiti (PPSS), which has been spearheading the anti-Posco movement for long, received a major jolt as its nominee lost the Dhinkia gram panchayat election held on Wednesday.
BJD-supported Sarapanch candidate Salila Nayak won the polls by defeating PPSS-backed candidate Mamata Dei by a margin of 401 votes. Nayak grabbed 2,263 votes out of total 4,125 votes polled, sources said.
Out of 23 wards in Dhinkia GP, 11Ward Member candidates won unopposed and 28 candidates were in the poll race for the rest 12 wards.
The election assumed significance in view of the anti-Posco movement spearheaded by the PPSS in support of a host of political parties.
“People have given their mandate in favour of the project by voting for Salila Nayak,” said a pro-Posco activist in Dhinkia. However, the PPSS dismissed the claims saying that the Sarpanch election will have little impact on the anti-Posco agitation.
After the results were out, Nayak said she would support early start of the project work to bring economic development in the area.