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.
