Rourkela: Hopes of an election for the Rourkela Municipal Corporation (RMC) were rekindled with the formation of the new BJP government. However, with each passing month, that optimism continues to fade.
There seems to be no serious effort from the government in this regard, as elections for two municipal corporations— Rourkela and Sambalpur— remain uncertain. Although Urban Development Minister Krushna Chandra Mahapatra emphatically announced that “elections will be held in the next six months,” no significant developments have followed.
His statement has been welcomed, as announcements from a minister are typically seen as the voice of the government. Polls for the RMC council have been pending since 2013, with the decision being sub-judice.
The issue arose after then-Biramitrapur MLA George Tirkey, who is now with the BJD, filed a case against the upgradation, citing that “Sundargarh is a scheduled district.” Recently, a booth-level agent meeting was convened by the administration, with members from all political parties in attendance. This led to speculation regarding the election in Rourkela.
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However, those hopes were dashed when the BJP’s state spokesperson, Dhiren Senapati, clarified, “The meeting was regarding linking the Aadhaar card to the voter list, which is happening at the national level.
Do not link this to the municipal election.” Pressed further, Senapati said, “I cannot speak on the election; the decision will be taken at the highest level,” effectively extinguishing any speculation. Locals have been making interesting observations regarding the election and its potential outcome. When Orissa POST spoke to some politically aware individuals, they offered insightful comments.
One noted, “The BJD was never confident, so it was happy with the sub-judice status and never seriously attempted to fast-track the case.” Another added, “If the Ram Mandir case could be heard on a day-to-day basis, the same could have been done for the RMC matter.”
A third individual made a shrewd remark: “Perhaps this government is not sure of victory and is buying time because it knows it has nothing substantial to show the people.”
Notably, Rourkela MLA Sarada Nayak defeated political heavyweight Dilip Ray of the BJP in the Assembly elections in 2024. It is no secret that the BJP here is a divided house, split between the original BJP faction and the one led by Ray.
“It will be very difficult for the party to choose the right candidates, as there will be severe clashes of interest at every booth,” one observer said.
PNN
