DHENKANAL: Former minister Anjali Behera who contested for the panchayat samiti member post in Giridhari Prasad panchayat has lost to her BJD contestant. Behera, now in BJP, was defeated by a margin of 869 votes. Her defeat is seen by poll analysts as a setback to her political career.
When she had decided to contest the local polls, she made it clear that she wanted to be with people since the 2024 general elections are close to two years away. According to political circles, she was eyeing the block chairperson’s post as it is reserved for women but her failure to win has put a question mark on her career.
Anjali, daughter of late minister Trinath Naik of Hindol constituency, was a four-time MLA and a minister in the Naveen Patnaik cabinet at least twice. She was dropped from the ministry in 2012 for her participation in midnight coup by Pyari Mohan Mohapatra. She was denied a ticket in 2014 but contested as an independent candidate from Hindol constituency, only to lose. Last year, she had joined BJP.