Continuing its winning spree, the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Saturday swept the municipal elections, bagging 76 out of 108 urban local bodies.
In last month’s panchayat polls, the party had won 766 of 852 Zilla Parishad seats in 30 districts. The ruling camp has also pocketed posts of mayor and chairperson in all 76 bodies.
This is the first time people in Odisha could directly elect mayors of corporations and chairpersons of municipalities and NACs, besides ward councillors, with the municipal laws having been amended recently. Of the 105 municipalities and notified area councils (NACs) in the state, the BJD emerged victorious in 73, while the BJP managed to secure just 16, followed by the Congress at seven. Nine urban local bodies were secured by Independents.
The Naveen Patnaik-led party also registered its win in the three municipal corporations of Bhubaneswar, Cuttack and Berhampur. "Thank all the people of Odisha for the overwhelming support in Odisha Municipal Election. The win is a reflection of the outpouring of love for BJD and untiring effort of thousands of party workers. #OdishaLovesBJD (sic)," Patnaik, who is also the party’s president, said on Twitter.
BJD's candidate Sulochana Das, who was elected to the post of mayor in Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, expressed her gratitude to people in the state capital for her victory. "I am touched by the love people have showered on me despite being a newbie in politics,” the journalist-turned-BMC mayor said.
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