The Hindu 11.02.2014
Mayor post wide open for limited contenders
Being reserved for the Scheduled Caste woman, the race for the post of Mayor of Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) has been tapered and limited to only four aspirants. Of the 59 wards of the city, only four wards -- 21, 39, 45 and 51 -- were reserved for this category and all these wards have returned BJD candidates which is going to form the council after winning 36 wards.
While Anita Behera has won from Ward No 21 defeating her nearest rival from BJP by a margin of 572 votes, Sulochana Sethy has won from ward No. 39 defeating an independent candidate by a margin of 447 votes. Similarly, from ward No 45 Meenakshi Behera has romped home defeating the Congress candidate by a margin of whopping 1365 votes and Mamata Behera has won from ward No. 51 defeating an independent candidate by a margin of 451 votes.
Looking at the margins of victories, Meenakshi has an upper hand and moreover she has crushed a Congress candidate by polling nearly 60 per cent of votes polled in her ward. Since Meenakshi and Sulochana have won from the wards that come under the Choudwar-Cuttack Assembly segment, the party supremo might chose either of them for Mayor, for the coveted post has never gone to anyone from this segment ever. Sulochana could be chosen for the prestigious post for she is the only graduate from among the four Scheduled Caste woman making it to the council this time.
On the other hand, the Barabati-Cuttack legislator Debashis Samantray might throw his weight behind Anita of ward No. 21 as she is the only contender from his segment for the post of Mayor. Samantray, as always enjoys a special equation with the Chief Minister and it is due to Samantray’s hard work, the party managed to win as many as 21 wards from the 31 coming under his assembly segment. However, Mamata of ward No 51 could be the dark horse to stake her claim for the post of Mayor for the simple reason that she belongs to Cuttack Sadar Assembly segment and never ever from this segment has anyone occupied the post of Mayor or Deputy Mayor.
While all the four contenders have left it to the judgment and wisdom of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik saying that they are willing to take up any responsibility the party gives, all eyes are now focussed on the decision of the party president which will be known on Thursday.
