Cuttack, May 15: The Congress and the BJP today announced their candidates for the upcoming bypoll of the municipal corporation's ward No. 21, which is set to take place on June 3.

The Congress has named advocate Gauri Das as its candidate, while the BJP has re-nominated Padmini Behera. Padmini, also an advocate, had lost the 2014 civic polls by nearly 500 votes to BJD's Anita Behera, the former Cuttack mayor.

The bypoll was necessitated by Anita Behera's resignation from her position as councillor and mayor after her name figured in the list of beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act last December. Subsequently, another BJD councillor Minakhi Behera was elected as mayor.

For the BJD, the Congress and the BJP, the by-election provides an opportunity to test its popularity among the city's electorates.

The ration card issue had become a major political controversy in the city with the names of several prominent figures of the ruling party figuring in the list of beneficiaries. The bypoll has thrown up an opportunity for the Opposition parties to make a dent in the BJD's bastion.

"It will be a fight for corruption-free governance," said Cuttack Nagar Congress president Md Moquim.

There are 6,604 voters in the ward - 3,523 male and 3,081 female, according to the electoral roll.

Both the Congress and the BJP are optimistic about their electoral prospects. "It has been over two years now and not a single development work has been undertaken in the ward," said BJP candidate Padmini Behera.

"I will try my best to resolve basic problems in selecting the right beneficiary under the NSFA, pension and other welfare schemes," said Congress candidate Gauri Das.

Party sources said the BJD had not been able to finalise its candidate due to factionalism.

"We are in the middle of selecting our candidate from among six aspirants, who have applied for the party ticket. We will announce our decision tomorrow after we scrutinise their documents and other credentials," said BJD's MLA from Barabati-Cuttack Debasish Samantray.

According to a State Election Commission notification, nomination papers will have to be filed between May 16 and 18, while the final list of candidates will be published after the last date of withdrawal on May 23.