 |
| File picture of a BJD candidate celebrating after winning in CMC polls |
Cuttack, Feb. 12: The BJD lost control over a large number of wards here, but retained the civic body by wresting several seats from the Opposition parties.
The BJD lost in as many as 15 of the 37 wards where it had won in 2009. But victories in nine wards where Congress or BJP or Independent candidates had won in last civic polls helped the BJD to win a majority of the 59 seats in the Cuttack Municipal Corporation.
Coming ahead of the general elections, which happens to be only months away, the drifting away of voters from the BJD in such large number of wards is cause enough for worry among the ruling party leaders.
“Despite the win we have to firm up our strategy for the Assembly elections (when Chief Minister will seek a record fourth term in office) and the Lok Sabha polls,” a senior BJD leader said.
The defeat of BJD in so many wards where it had won last time reflects poorly on the judgment of the party leadership that failed to pick right candidates after dropping sitting councillors in almost all wards either on grounds of alleged involvement in post-Phailin relief scam or delimitation. Neither Naveen’s charisma nor the party symbol worked in favour of the weak candidates.
In ward No. 44, BJD candidate Chandrakanti Priyadarsini got just 193 of the total 3,482 votes polled. She was fielded as the party candidate after the ward was reserved for women. Two-time councillor Pradipta Kishore Khuntia’s wife Chitra Khuntia, who was denied a ticket, won the seat cornering 2,255 votes as an Independent candidate.
“The message has also gone loud and clear that neither the conch symbol nor being a BJD MLA’s kin alone is a candidate’s passport to success,” said a senior BJP leader.
BJP’s Bijay Dalei, who is popular figure in ward No. 11, wrested the seat by defeating firebrand BJD leader and Athagarh MLA Ranendra Pratap Swain’s nephew Amarendra Pratap Swain. The BJD candidate lost the seat to the saffron party candidate by 107 votes. Apart from his MLA uncle, Swain’s voters included Cuttack MP Bhatruhari Mahtab, BJD working committee member Ashis Sahu and its youth wing president Bijay Behera.
Similarly, the BJD lost ward No. 41 to an Independent candidate despite fielding Kaniska Jena, the nephew of the party’s Mahanga MLA Pratap Jena. The MLA is also the president of the BJD’s Cuttack district Unit and a former minister. Kaniska lost by 440 votes to Independent candidate Hemanta Behera.