Berhampur: Three BJD candidates, contesting for corporator post in the election to Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC), are set to be declared elected without contest.
According to the final list of candidates published by the election officer after withdrawal of nominations on Monday, total 143 candidates including 72 women are in fray for corporator posts in 42 wards, while there are seven contenders for the mayor post which is reserved for women.
R Pavani, the BJD candidate for ward no 15, Surendra Kumar Moharana for ward no 31 and Sameer Kumar Mishra for ward no 34 will be elected unopposed. While no nomination was filed against Pavani, the BJP candidates, who filed the papers against Moharana and Mishra, have withdrawn. However, the BJD candidates’ election is yet to be declared officially.
All major political parties, including BJD, BJP, Congress, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and SUCI, have fielded their candidates for the mayor post.
Both BJP and Congress have not nominated their candidates in all wards of the corporation this time. While the ruling BJD has fielded candidates in all wards, BJP and Congress have candidates for 36 and 24 wards respectively. The AAP and CPM candidates are contesting in 12 and one ward, respectively, sources said.
The BJP claimed that it had put up candidates in all wards. But some of them withdrew their nominations due to alleged threatening and luring of the BJD. “The BJD fears to go to people for which they want to win the election without polling,” said Bhrugu Boxipatra, vice-president of BJP’s state unit.
Meanwhile, the BJD, which had faced revolt by some local leaders after being denied tickets for corporator posts, claimed to have managed to pacify the rebels. But, at least two party rebels, who were elected as corporators in the last election, are contesting as the Independents after being denied party tickets. They are Biren Patnaik and Mamini Padhy for ward no 12.
The election to the urban civic body is scheduled to be held on March 24.
