NUAPADA: BJD candidate Namita Pradhan was elected unopposed as Nuapada Zilla Parishad (ZP) president on Wednesday. While the post was reserved for OBC, Namita won from Komna- 3 ZP seat reserved for OBC (Woman). The BJD grabbed seven ZP seats while the Congress managed to capture six ZP seats in the recently concluded panchayat poll. The BJP failed to open its account.
The district has 14 ZP zones of which election was held in 13 seats with the Orissa High Court putting on hold election to Komna-2 ZP seat. The decision was taken after villagers of Latkanpada filed a writ petition in the High Court demanding a separate gram panchayat.
Election for the Nuapada ZP president post was scheduled on March 12. However, the High Court put on hold the poll for Nuapada ZP president following the writ petition. Subsequently, the High Court issued an order to conduct ZP president election on April 26 after another person moved the court to conduct the election.
BJP ZP president elected in Malkangiri
Malkangiri: Dasrath Podiami of BJP, who was elected from ZP Zone-l in Malkangiri panchayat samiti, won the president post of the council unopposed on Wednesday. Podiami was administered the oath of office by Additional District Magistrate Reghumani Gamang in presence of Collector K Sudarshan Chakravarthy.
Later, Podiami was taken in a procession by the party workers in presence of senior leaders like former minister Manmohan Samal, Deputy Speaker Prahallad Dora, Nabarangpur MP Parsuram Majhi and BJP district unit president Ashok Kumar Parida. Podiami was elected from ZP zone-l of Malkangiri Panchayat Samiti by defeating BJD candidate Laxman Nayak in 2800 votes in the recently concluded panchayat poll.
The decision of the State Election Commission to conduct election for ZP president post in Malkangiri came in the wake of the High Court directive to complete the process by April 26.