The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) registered convincing wins in Phulbani municipality and G.Udaygiri Notified Area Council (NAC) in Kandhamal district.
Counting of votes for the elections of these two urban bodies was held on Tuesday. It may be noted the BJD had won in majority of the urban bodies in western Odisha, which went to polls last month as well as in the urban bodies where elections had been held before that. The two urban bodies in Kandhamal district were the last ones to go for polls.
In the Phulbani municipality, which also happens to be the district headquarter town of Kandhamal district, the BJD candidates won in nine out of total 13 wards. The Congress and the independents won in two wards each. Similar was the situation at G.Udaygiri NAC, where the BJD won in 10 wards, Congress got two and an independent also got elected.
So, it is for sure, the BJD would be able to easily win the posts of chairpersons and deputy chairpersons in these two urban bodies. Election for the post of chairpersons of these two urban bodies would be held on Dec. 9 and the vice-chairpersons would be elected on Dec 30.
Although the Sangh Parivar claims to be having a following in Kandhamal district, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) faired too badly in these two urban bodies. None of the BJP candidates could manage to win although the party had fielded 13 candidates in Phulbani and nine at G.Udaygiri.
The Congress which had bagged the post of chairperson of G.Udaygiri NAC in 2008 lost the NAC to the BJD. In 2008, BJD had managed to get its candidate elected to the post of chairperson in Phulbani through the support of the BJD ward members. But this time it has got a clear majority in the municipality.
