Cuttack, Jan. 21: All eyes are set on the mayoral by-election scheduled here tomorrow.
Three BJD councillors - Sulochana Sethi, Minakhi Beheraand Mamata Behera - are leading the race for the mayor's post that is reserved for a scheduled caste woman this time.
The posts of mayor and councillor of ward No. 21 had both fallen vacant following the resignation of Anita Behera in the wake of the ongoing ration card row.
Though all are of the view that the party supremo's decision will be final on who would head the city's next civic board. Party insiders said that all the three candidates were lobbying hard for themselves through senior BJD leaders.
Thirty-eight-year-old arts graduate Sulochana, who represents ward No. 39 and appears to be the front runner for her educational qualification, said: "I had never thought that I would become the mayor. But, I will not be surprised if my senior party leaders and the party chief decide to entrust me with the job."
High school graduate Minakhi, 35, who represents ward No. 45, said: "I will follow the instructions of my senior leaders. I will try to live up to the expectation of our chief minister if he selects me for the job."
Thirty-six-year-old Mamata, who only studied till Class-IX, represents ward No. 51. She is in the race for the city's top civic post for her organising capability at the party grassroots level. "Whatever our senior leaders and the chief minister decide, I will abide by it," she said.
Chief minister Naveen Patnaik today met BJD MLAs from Barabati Cuttack, Choudwar Cuttack and Sadar Cuttack, whose areas together constitute 59 wards of the city's civic body. He is expected to take a decision on choosing the mayor on the basis of their recommendation.
Women and child development minister Usha Devi will remain the observer for the polls.
"Our recommendation is more of an appraisal of the three councillors. The chief minister will choose the person," said Barabati Cuttack MLA Debashis Samantaray.
The civic body has, however, made all the arrangements to hold the by-election.
Municipal commissioner Gyana Das said: "Notices to all the 58 councillors have been sent to attend a meeting which has been specially convened tomorrow for the by-election. If more than one person contests, voting will be held."
However, there is least chance of any contest as the BJD has 41 councillors, while there are nine Congress councillors, four BJP and another four Independent.
According to sources, a section of the BJD workers in Barabati Cuttack are unhappy as the by-election for the mayor's post is being held without conducting the bypoll in ward No. 21, the only seat reserved for scheduled castes in the Assembly constituency. More than half of the total wards in the city will go unrepresented as the ward does not have a councillor.
Kanak Lata Nayak, a resident of ward No. 21, had filed a petition in the high court challenging the decision to hold the mayoral bypoll before conducting the by-election in the ward. The single-judge bench of Justice B.K. Nayak of Orissa High Court, however, turned down her petition today.
