June 23rd 2024.
After the recent poll results, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Berhampur is feeling anxious about the possibility of defection and horse trading among its 36 corporators in the Berhampur Municipal Corporation. Sources have revealed that the party is on high alert and closely monitoring the situation.
The recent Lok Sabha and Assembly elections saw a major defeat for the BJD at the hands of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This has caused worry among BJD leaders, who fear that the ruling party might poach their corporators or that the corporators themselves may defect to the BJP. Speculation is rife about the future political landscape in Ganjam district.
The BJD's loss has resulted in significant changes in the political dynamics of the southern district. Out of the total 42 wards in the Berhampur Municipal Corporation, 36 fall under the Berhampur Assembly segment and the remaining six under the Gopalpur Assembly segment. In the 2022 civic body elections, the BJD had emerged victorious in 30 wards, while the BJP won in seven, and the Congress and Independents in one and four wards respectively.
Before this year's general elections, four corporators from the BJP and two Independents had defected to the BJD, increasing its number to 36 in the civic body. However, the BJP candidate for the Berhampur Assembly constituency secured a resounding victory over their BJD rival by a margin of 18,000 votes, altering the political equation in the Berhampur Municipal Corporation.
It has been two years since the formation of the elected council of the BeMC, and as per the Orissa Municipal Corporation Act, the opposition can move a no-confidence motion against the mayor and the ruling council. This has raised concerns for the BJD, especially since the BJP has successfully claimed the MLA seat for the Berhampur Assembly constituency and formed the government in the state.
Ramesh Chandra Chyau Patnaik, the defeated BJD candidate and the party's district president, has already taken measures to prevent any potential defection or foul play. He has informed that the party is closely monitoring the movements of its 36 corporators.
The BJP has been constantly targeting the BJD, both before and after the civic body elections. During the Assembly elections, their candidate and campaigners highlighted corruption and irregularities in the BeMC to sway voters in their favor. The BJP had also organized several protests and demonstrations in front of the BeMC office before the 2024 elections.
The convincing victories of the BJP candidate for the Berhampur Lok Sabha segment and the party's candidate for the Berhampur Assembly constituency have caused concern among the BJD leaders, workers, and the elected corporators of the BeMC. The BJD is now working hard to prevent any further losses and maintain its stronghold in the Berhampur Municipal Corporation.
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