BHUBANESWAR: Miffed over denial of tickets from the party, several corporator aspirants from BJD filed nomination papers for the urban elections as rebels. After failing to get party tickets till the last day of nomination filing, BJD heavyweight and five-times corporator Sk Nizamuddin submitted his papers as Independent. Instead of Nizamuddin, the ruling party this time has reposed faith on A Raju, a first-timer.
Swarna Prabha Ray, another ex-corporator from BJD party, also filed her nomination as Independent. “I have worked for the people for the last eight years. I am confident that I will be able to win the trust of the voters of my ward as they are the one who encouraged me to contest as an Independent after I was denied ticket this time,” Ray said. She, however, said that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik will always be her leader.
Diptirekha Paikray, a youth worker of BJD also filed her nomination as an Independent alleging that despite working for the party for the last 10 years, she failed to get a ticket for Ward 7. The party has fielded Manas Kumar Das as party’s corporator candidate from Ward 7.