BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister and president of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Saturday announced the names of candidates for mayor posts of three municipal corporations going to polls on March 24.
While Sulochana Das, State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities, has been announced as the BJD’s mayor candidate for Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), Rajya Sabha member Subash Chandra Singh will be the party’s nominee for the post in Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC). Sanghamitra Dalei, president of the women’s wing for Ganjam district has been announced as the candidate for post of mayor of Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC).
A former spokesperson of the ruling BJD, Das was appointed as the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities in March 2019. Das who was the spokesperson of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) had quit the party to join the ruling BJD in June 2017.
It is for the first time that Singh, a Rajya Sabha member has been asked to contest for the post of mayor. Singh also treasurer of the BJD, was elected to the Rajya Sabha on March 24, 2020. Singh served as the chairman of the Odisha Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board for two consecutive terms.
Besides, he is also a founder member and general secretary of Biju Shramik Shamukhya, the trade union wing of the ruling BJD. All eyes are now on the BJP’s candidate for the post of mayor in the three municipal corporations. Congress has already announced Madhusmita Acharya and Giribala Behera as the party’s mayoral candidates for BMC and CMC. However, it is yet to announce the candidate for BeMC.