SAMBALPUR: Deepanjali Bhorasagar was elected as the second chairperson of Attabira NAC unanimously by the newly elected members of NAC on Thursday.She was elected to the Council from Ward No. 3 and her name as chairperson was declared by Bargarh Sub- Collector Biswajit Mohapatra. The election was a mere formality with the BJD winning all the 12 NAC Wards and there was no scope for any opposition or contest.
State Handloom and Textiles Minister and Attabira MLA Snehangini Chhuria, who led the BJD campaign in the NAC election, was present on the occasion.Ironically, BJD wrested Attabira NAC the day BJP president Amit Shah was touring western Odisha to mobilise votes for the BJP ahead of the 2019 general elections. The NAC, which has 13,205 voters, saw 38 candidates in the fray with the three major political parties putting up candidates in all the 12 Wards besides presence of two Independent candidates. The BJP, besides the Congress which had formed the outgoing Council, failed to open their account.
In 2013, twelve Wards were equally 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 clean sweep by the BJD has raised hopes among the residents who had failed to see much of development in the area after Congress won the first ever NAC Council. With Chhuria promising all-round development if BJD is elected to power, the people rallied behind the party. With the aspirations of the people quite high from the BJD, this will put pressure on both Chhruia and newly-elected chairperson Bhorasagar to deliver.
Talking to ‘Express,’ Chhuria said while drinking water is high on their agenda and will be given priority keeping in view the rising temperature, due importance would also been given to ensure ‘patta’ for slum dwellers besides roads and drains. She said since the last Council failed to do anything substantial, there is a lot of pending work to be done. She said she would guide the council to fulfil promises made to the electorate who had reposed their confidence in the leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and the BJD.