1102 candidates in fray for Nov 22 civic polls

BHUBANESWAR: A total of 1,102 candidates are in fray for the November 22 urban local body (ULB) elections in western Odisha. Five candidates, all women and representing BJD, were elected unopposed after 78 nominees withdrew their papers on Monday, State Election Commission (SEC) sources said.
The SEC, in a statement, said 105 out of 1,290 nominations were rejected during scrutiny.Two BJD candidates each were elected unopposed in Bargarh municipality and Tarabha notified area council (NAC) besides one from Binka NAC.
For the rest 301 wards of the 20 ULBs, BJD has candidates in all wards. Congress is contesting from 240 and BJP from 268. As many as 293 candidates in fray are either independents or belong to other political parties.
In the 19-ward Bargarh ULB, Subarna Bhoi (BJD) was declared winner uncontested after nomination papers of Congress candidate Purnabasi Khamari was rejected during scrutiny.
Another Congress candidate for ward number 8, Ratnamani Saha, withdrew her candidature, leaving the seat to Kalpana Majhi of the ruling regional party. Bargarh district Congress committee president Rajesh Agrawal alleged that BJD forced Ratnamani to withdraw. BJP had no candidates in these wards. Total 66 candidates are left for the contest in 17 wards of the town.
For 11 wards in Deogarh, there are 39 candidates in the fray -- 11 each from BJD, BJP and Congress while 6 are independents. In 11-ward Barpali NAC there are total 33 candidates (11 each from BJD, BJP and Congress) left for the poll after an independent withdrew his candidature on Monday.
In Padmapur NAC, for 11 ward council, there are 36 candidates in the fray, 11 each from BJP, BJD and Congress and three independents. Three independents withdrew their candidatures on Monday.
In Kuchinda, eight independent candidates withdrew their candidatures on Monday, leaving only 38 candidates in the fray. In the 11 ward council, there are 11 candidates each from Congress, BJP, BJD and five independent candidates.
In Bhawanipatna, 78 candidates are left after four independent candidates withdrew their nominations. "BJD, Congress and BJP are contesting in all 20 wards while there are 18 Independents," said election officer Manoj Ranjan Mohapatra.
(With inputs from Sambalpur and Bhawanipatna)