Bhubaneswar: A former Odisha cabinet minister and the son of a ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) legislator lost in the panchayat polls, while a college student, vegetable vendor and dentist has won rural elections in the state. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former cabinet minister Anjali Behera contested for Panchayat Samiti member seat from Giridhar Prasad Gram Panchayat under Hindol block of Dhenkanal district, in which she lost by 826 votes.
Behera, a three-time MLA from Hindol seat, was the Minister of Women and Child Development and Handlooms, Textiles and Handicrafts in the Naveen Patnaik government from 2009-2011 and 2011-2012. She was dismissed from BJD for anti-party activities and then she joined BJP. Behera had told reporters before the elections that she is contesting for the panchayat samiti member seat to remain active in politics and serve the people.
Despite Naveen Patnaik’s immense popularity across the state, Biswajit Das, son of BJD MLA and former minister Anant Das, lost the panchayat elections in Balasore district. An independent candidate defeated him by 88 votes. Another BJD-backed candidate and Anant’s relative Achyutananda Das also lost from Maheshwar panchayat seat in Bhogarai in Balasore district. Heera Nayak, a graduate student belonging to a poor family of Pratap Purushottampur village of Puri district, won the panchayat elections.
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He won the seat of Panchayat Samiti member by a margin of four votes. Heera told that her father is a daily wage laborer and the family lives in a dilapidated hut. Despite financial constraints and many obstacles, he continued his studies and is currently in his third year of graduation. Heera said, “I have seen how much damage was caused to my villagers in cyclone ‘Fani’ and how the local panchayat members did not help at all. That’s why, I decided to contest the elections.”
Similarly, vegetable vendor T. Sridhar won the election as Zilla Parishad member from Ramanguda Zone-I of Rayagada district. Sridhar, who contested on a Congress ticket, said, “People had faith in me and that’s why they voted for me by turning down money from opposition parties. I will not let them down.” Lipika Majhi, a dentist by profession and daughter of former Congress MLA Bhajbal Majhi, won from Papdahandi Zilla Parishad Zone-II in Nabarangpur district. He contested the election on a Congress ticket.
“Following in the footsteps of my father, I will serve the people of my area, who are deprived of health services and quality education,” she said. Ramakant Baral, son of former BJP leader Kulmani Baral, won the election as a Panchayat Samiti member from Nritang Panchayat in Cuttack district. He defeated his opponent by a margin of 600 votes. Kulmani Baral and his friend Divya Shankar Baral were murdered in Cuttack district. (agency)