BHUBANESWAR: Just two weeks to go, the municipal elections in Odisha capital Bhubaneswar is priming for a fascinating triangular fight with mayor candidates of BJD, BJP and Congress hitting the campaign trail on Tuesday, marking the International Women’s Day.
The mayor post, reserved for women, is going to be a direct election for the first time. The urban local bodies’ polls will be held on March 24. BJD mayor candidate Sulochana Das and BJP nominee Suniti Mund, who filed their nomination papers on Monday, visited Lingaraj Temple to seek the blessing of the Lord on the first day of their campaigning.
A former journalist, Das visited the 11th-century shrine in the morning and soon embarked on campaigning. She covered at least six wards attending various meetings and programmes including events organised by different communities to celebrate women’s day. “I am overwhelmed with the support received from women and community members in different wards. If elected, I will ensure all-round development of the city and make it No 1 Smart City in India,” she said.
Mund visited different wards to attended party programmes and convey women’s day greetings to community members. Congress mayor candidate Madhusmita Acharya also campaigned aggressively in different wards. For BJD, the poll plank is the clear-clean image of CM Naveen Patnaik and the 5T governance for the development of the city.
Opponents BJP, Congress and Independent candidates, on the other hand, have reached out to voters with the various civic issues the city is grappling with. Apart from mayoral candidates, corporators aspirants in 67 wards also intensified their campaign. Flanked by supporters with flags and banners, they visited different localities of the city for door-to-door campaigning.
Sources in BJP said campaigning will be strengthened further after launching of party’s manifesto in next couple of days. “We are going to highlight the massive failures of urban governance in the State capital over the last one decade,” said a party leader.
Bhubaneswar district Congress president Biswajit Dash said, his party candidates prefer direct contacts with voters after Covid restrictions were lifted.
A total 12 mayor candidates and 366 corporator candidates filed their nomination papers for the urban elections. Scrutiny of the nominations will be held on March 9.