Berhampur: Apprehending defection and horse trading following the poll debacle, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) is keeping a close watch on its 36 corporators in Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC), sources said Friday.
BJD has gone on the defensive after its drubbing by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the recently concluded Lok Sabha and Assembly elections. The crumbling of the BJD fort in Ganjam district has sparked concern among its leaders who now fear that the ruling BJP might poach its corporators or the latter might defect to the saffron party. Chatters are abuzz over the course of the future politics in Ganjam district.
The debacle of BJD has given rise to new political equations in the southern district. While 36 wards of BeMC are under Berhampur Assembly segment, rest six wards come under Gopalpur Assembly segment. In the 2022 civic body elections, BJD won in 30 wards out of the total 42 wards of BeMC. While BJP secured victory in seven wards, the Congress won in one ward and Independents in four wards.
Four corporators from BJP and two Independents defected to BJD before the general elections held this year. As a result, the number of BJD corporators rose to 36 in the civic body.
Sources said the BJP candidate for Berhampur Assembly constituency won by defeating his nearest BJD rival by a big margin of 18,000 votes. This has altered the political equation in BeMC. Meanwhile, two years have passed since the civic body election and formation of an elected council of BeMC.
As per Orissa Municipal Corporation Act, the opposition can move no confidence motion against the mayor and the ruling council, two years after the formation of the council.
While the BJP candidate wrested from BJD the MLA seat from Berhampur Assembly constituency, the saffron party has also formed the government in the state.
Apprehending foul play and horse trading, the defeated BJD candidate and party’s district president Ramesh Chandra Chyau Patnaik has launched efforts in advance to plug the loopholes and prevent any defection. During a discussion he informed that the party is keeping a track on the movements of its 36 corporators.
Notably, BJP had launched a tirade against the BJD before and after the civic body elections here. The BJP candidate and their campaigners tried to attract voters during the Assembly election by highlighting corruption and irregularities in the BeMC. BJP had also organised several demonstrations and agitations in front of the BeMC office before the 2024 elections.
Meanwhile, the BJP candidate for Berhampur Lok Sabha segment and the party candidate from Berhampur Assembly constituency have won with good margin of votes. This has concerned the BJD leaders, workers, and the elected party corporators of BeMC.
PNN