BHUBANESWAR: The State Election Commission (SEC) on Friday disqualified six councillors of Soro municipality who had defected to BJD from BJP prior to general elections last year. They had been elected on the saffron party ticket and symbol in 2022.
The councillors include Urmila Rout, Rinarani Sethi, Sasmita Das, Pabitra Sethi, Ranjan Kumar Das and Tanaya Rani Mohapatra, who had won from Ward no. 1, 2, 3, 8, 9 and 14, respectively. Acting on a complaint filed by one Nalinikanta Mohapatra, an executive member of BJP’s Balasore district unit and from facts and circumstances, the commission observed that the councillors had joined BJD in full view of media on May 19, 2024 at Sankha Bhawan, here.
“Print media reports, electronic media, video and notes of the spokesperson of BJD issued on the same date conclusively prove that. Though they have not resigned from BJP formally, but by their conduct, it can be concluded that they have voluntarily given up the membership of BJP on whose ticket they were elected as councillors to Soro Municipality in 2022,” the order stated.
Soro municipality in Balasore district consists of 19 wards and during the last civic body elections held on March 24, 2022, 12 councillors were elected from BJP and four from BJD while three were elected from Congress.
As per the proceedings, of the 12 BJP councillors, six had allegedly joined BJD on May 19, last year, after chairman of the municipality Madhab Dhada, who was elected on BJP ticket resigned from the post as well as the party to join BJD on the same date. Dhada then contested the Assembly election and was elected.
After the last year’s general elections, these six councillors claimed that neither had they resigned from BJP nor had the party initiated any disciplinary action against them. Stating that the video clipping of them joining BJD is not maintainable as evidence in the court of law, they said they are in BJP and submitted photos and videos with party leaders.