RAYAGADA: The election of Zilla Parishad president of the district was declared null and void by District Judge Biswajit Dash on Tuesday. Hearing the case in the court of District and Sessions Judge, he directed the State Election Commission to conduct fresh election to the post.
In the Zilla Parishad election that was held last year, Congress had secured 11 seats and BJD seven while four seats had gone to the BJP out of 22 seats. The State Government had then brought an amendment that the elected members of Zilla Parishad can show their ballot papers to their authorised agents and put those into the ballot box. During the election, BJP ZP member Ramachandra Behera of Muniguda zone had shown his ballot paper to the authorised agent of Congress candidate. Subsequently, BJP had failed to appoint any authorised agent for its candidate.
Purusottam Gomango from Congress, Gangadhar Puala from BJD and Puspalata Mutika from BJP were contesting for the post of president and Gomango won it. However, his rival candidate of BJD Gangadhar Puala filed a petition in the court of District and Sessions Judge against Gomango’s election. The District Judge declared the election as void as there was no transparency.
Contacted, Gomango said he has not received any court order yet and further course of action will be decided by higher authorities of Congress party.
Prior to this, Collector-cum-District Magistrate had cancelled the membership of Nilakantha Jhodia who had won from Congress in Kashipur block as irregularities were found in his caste certificate.