BJD Issues Whip For Cuttack Deputy Mayor Election

Cuttack: The ruling BJD on Wednesday issued a whip directing the party corporators of CMC to participate in the election to deputy mayor post of the city.

According to BJD sources, the party has told the corporators, elected in recently held election to Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC), to vote for their candidate for deputy mayor post in the election. Any corporator, who violates the whip, would lose the post and re-election will be held in that ward, the BJD said.

The indirect election to deputy mayor post of Cuttack is scheduled to be held on Thursday.

Earlier, the state government amended the rules for the election to the deputy mayor posts in three municipal corporation. As per the amended rules, political parties can appoint their agents to be present during the election. The election officer will allow the authorised agents to verify the votes cast by the elected members of their respective parties as is being done during the Rajya Sabha elections.

“When an elector being a member of a political party, records his vote on a ballot paper and before such elector inserts that ballot paper into the ballot box, allow the authorised agent of that political party to verify as to whom such elector has cast his vote,” said a notification issued by Housing and Urban Development department.

As per the schedule announced by the State Election Commission (SEC), the elections to deputy mayor posts of Cuttack, Berhampur and Bhubaneswar will be held on April 7, 8 and 9 respectively. The elections to posts of deputy chairperson of municipalities and NACs would be conducted on April 7.

Meanwhile, the stage is ready for swearing-in ceremony of newly elected corporators of CMC and Cuttack Mayor on Thursday.