Bhubaneswar: Party hopping that took place in the run up to the recent twin elections in Odisha appears to be showing its impact now. With several Biju Janata Dal (BJD) joining and leaning towards Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the regional is finding it tough to maintain its control over urban local bodies (ULBs).
As per reports from Puri district, a no confidence motion has been moved against chairperson of Nimapara Notified Area Council (NAC), Sasmita Sahoo.
Sources said eight of the eleven councillors have signed a notice for no trust motion being brought against Sasmita. The eight councillors have proceeded to Puri to place the notice before the district collector
They have alleged that though Sasmita took charge as chairperson of the NAC, she has failed to discharge her duties and responsibilities sincerely as per the municipal law.
While the council is required to meet at least once a month, it has met hardly six times, they claimed, adding that the chairperson has been functioning in an arbitrary manner, ignoring the councillors.
This apart, the chairperson is not available in Nimapada regularly as she spends more time in Bhubaneswar and gets involved in various ‘nefarious’ activities, claimed a councillor.
Notably, after the urban bodies’ elections held in 2022, BJD had seven councillors, BJP had three members and there was an independent member. However, during the recent elections, several BJD members joined BJP and the strength of the conch party got reduced to two.
Trouble mounted for BJD after it denied ticket to senior leader and former Minister Samir Ranjan Das for Nimapara Assembly seat in the recent elections following which he quit the party and joined BJP. Several others including council members also quit the regional party and switched sides to BJP. Saffron party leader Pravati Parida won the Nimapara Assembly seat and subsequently became one of the two Deputy Chief Ministers.
Notably, the chairperson of Nilgiri NAC in Balasore district is already struggling to save the post. Councillors have brought a no confidence motion against the chairperson.
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