BJD sweeps Attabira poll, bags 13 wards in Hindol

SAMBALPUR/DHENKANAL : The ruling Biju Janata Dal swept the elections to two Notified Area Councils (NACs), the results of which were announced on Thursday. In Attabira NAC of Bargarh district, the BJD won all 12 wards, while in Hindol NAC of Dhenkanal district, the ruling party secured 13 out of 16 wards. The BJP and the Independents managed to win one and two seats respectively at Hindol NAC.
 Even as national BJP president Amit Shah was touring western Odisha to garner votes for the BJP ahead of 2019 elections, the BJD, whose campaign was led by Handloom and Textile Minister Snehangini Chhuria, made a clean sweep in Attabira NAC polls.

After the results of the NAC poll were declared, the newly elected BJD councilors, along with Chhuria, went around the town in a procession amid beating of drums and thanking people for reposing faith in the BJD. Raising pro-Naveen and proChhuria slogans, the party workers took out a massive rally and amid bursting of crackers.Attabira NAC, which has 13,205 voters, saw 38 candidates in the fray with the three major political parties putting up nominees in all the 12 Wards besides presence of two Independent candidates.

The BJP and the Congress, which had formed the outgoing council, failed to open their accounts thereby marking the end of the Congress in the Assembly segment reserved for Scheduled Caste.
In 2013, six each among the 12 Wards were shared by the BJD and the Congress. But since the post of chairperson was reserved for SC (Woman) and BJD did not have any candidate from the category, the Congress grabbed the post of the Chairperson in the NAC.

The outcome of the NAC results has come as a boost for Chhuria and is likely to strengthen her position in the party as she campaigned relentlessly in the poll. The dwindling popularity and support base of the Congress and the absence of BJP’s  three-time former Sambalpur MLA Jayanrayan Mishra, who is lodged in Sohela sub-jail after being charged with murder in Bijepur pre-poll violence on February 22 night, helped Chhuria further strengthen BJD’s chances of winning. In the second Hindol NAC election, the ruling BJD emerged victorious by sweeping 13 out of 16 seats. Despite hectic campaign against the BJD, the BJP could bag only one seat while Independent candidates bagged two wards.

The Congress had secured majority in first NAC election. In the first NAC election, Congress had won 8 wards, BJD 2 wards while BJP in one ward and Independent candidates in five wards.Hindol BJD MLA Simarani Nayak celebrated the party’s victory with supporters and workers soon after the declaration of the results. The BJD workers were seen exchanging sweets in Hindol. District BJD president Nrushing Sahoo said, “We are happy that people have given their  mandate in our favour. The party council will work for the people in Hindol NAC for providing drinking water facility and motorable road to all the wards.”