BJD candidate Manoj Kumar Sethy on his way to file nomination in Cuttack. Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, Jan. 18: Candidates and their supporters disrupted traffic at Badambadi and its nearby areas today on the last day of filing nominations for the civic polls.

Around 170 nominations were filed today, taking the total count to 399.

Policemen at Badambadi-Link Road Square struggled to regulate the flow of vehicles carrying candidates and their supporters to the corporation office to file nominations. Nearby areas, including Badambadi Glass Palace, Badambadi Cesu colony, Rajabagicha and Khannagar Square, also witnessed traffic jams.

Among those who filed their papers were Odia movie artist Manoj Sethi and A. Sridevi, daughter-in-law of sitting councillor A. Ahalya Devi. Both are BJD candidates. The candidates showed their strength near Bikash Bhavan, oblivious to the inconvenience they were causing to the public. A traffic police official said they had deployed 15 constables and home guards at important crossroads in the area. The police deployed a crane to lift vehicles parked illegally by supporters of the candidates between Rajabagicha and Bikash Bhavan. While Manoj, who is popularly known for playing villain roles, will contest from ward No. 33, Sridevi will contest from ward No. 17.

Sitting BJD councillor Sumitra Sahoo filed her nominations as an Independent candidate after failing to get a party ticket. Since her ward No. 7 has now been reserved for backward class candidates, she will contest from ward No. 38, where the BJD had not re-nominated sitting councillor Jyotirmayee Behera.

Sitting BJD councillor Hrushikesh Deuri’s wife Sangita Rout filed her nomination as an Independent candidate today to contest from ward No. 6. “I will contest as an Independent candidate because I have been denied a party ticket from after my husband’s ward, which has now been reserved for backward class women,” Sangita said.

The BJD has dropped all its 40 sitting councillors, prompting several of them and their wives to file nominations as Independents. BJD leader and mayor Saumendra Ghose said: “The BJD has given new candidates the opportunity to contest giving priority to clean image and chances of winning.”