Cuttack, June 1: Campaigning for by-election to the civic body's ward No. 21 ended today with candidates of all political parties trying their best to reach out to voters here.
Aspirants from all three major parties - the BJD, BJP and the Congress - have fielded women candidates and organised rallies and public meetings on the last day of campaigning.
Tulasi Behera is contesting from the BJD, Padmini Behera from the BJP, Gauri Das from the Congress. Independent candidate Bharati Behera is also in the fray. The resignation of Cuttack mayor and ward No. 21 councillor Anita Behera, after her name figured in the list of beneficiaries under the National Food Security Act last December, necessitated the bypoll.
Though the BJD has a majority in the 59-ward municipal corporation with 40 councillors, it left no stone unturned in its efforts to retain the ward. It roped in Odia movie star Arindam to campaign for Tulasi Behera on the last day.
"People of the ward have faith in the BJD government led by Naveen Patnaik and we hope that our candidate will win here," Arindam said.
Earlier, actor-turned-politician Anubhav Mohanty and other party bigwigs, including school and mass education minister Debi Prasad Mishra, Barabati-Cuttack MLA Debasish Samantray and Choudwar Cuttack MLA Pravat Biswal, had also turned out to campaign for Behera.
The Opposition, on the other hand, are using the corruption tag on Anita Behera, as its election plank.
"The ex-mayor or the local legislator, everyone is entangled in some controversy or the other - either in the ration card issue or alleged links with the Dhal Samant brothers. We hope the electorate will select the right candidate for the ward's development," said Cuttack Nagar Congress president Mohammad Moquim.
"All 59 wards have been neglected despite the BJD having a majority in the council. Our focus is to give justice to the people of the ward. The former mayor had failed to develop basic amenities here," said BJP candidate Padmini Behera.
The electorate, however, did not give away any clue about their allegiance.
"We will vote for the candidate who will take measures to improve civic amenities, including sanitation, drinking water and street lighting," said local resident Kishore Mallick.
