BJP bags civic body chief's post

BHUBANESWAR: The BJP has reasons to cheer as its candidate was elected new chairperson of Dhenkanal municipality in the bypoll conducted on Thursday despite the party being in the minority. The Congress had 11 members followed by BJD's six, the BJP's five and one independent in the 23-member council.
The bypoll was necessitated as on August 1, the then municipality chairman Indramani Behera was defeated in a Congress-sponsored no-confidence motion.As many as 17 ward members had voted in favour of the motion against Behera.
According to reports, Sudhanshu Dalai from the BJP and independent candidate Rudranta Dalai had filed nominations for the chairman's post. Rudranta resigned from the Congress to fight the bypoll as an independent. Eight other members of Congress also followed suit and resigned from the party to become independents. But the resignations were not accepted by the party, a Congress source said.
Only 18 councillors took part in the election. Of the 18 members, 10 are from the Congress (excluding Rudranta), five from BJP, one from BJD and one independent. The other five members from the BJD didn't turn up to take part in the election, official sources said.
Both the contestants got nine votes each. So the election officer used the toss to declare the winner. The toss went in favour of Sudhanshu, said collector (Dhenkanal) and election officer Roopa Roshan Sahu.
She said according to the State Election Commission's notification, the bypoll was conducted on Thursday.
"I will work for the development of the municipality and allow no corruption," said the newly-elected chairman.
Behera was also elected through toss following a tie with his rival candidate. The BJD had formed the council with the help of the BJP.