Bhubaneswar: Despite all-out efforts, state BJP president Basant Panda failed to have a makeover for his tarnished image in his own assembly constituency in the keenly watched Zilla Parishad bypoll Thursday. BJD nominee Ramnaresh Ahir, who was attacked allegedly by BJP men days before the polls, won the bypoll to the Zone-II in Komna block of Nuapada district, as per unofficial sources. The official announcement of the result can be made only two days later, Saturday.
The sources said Ahir, still nursing his wounds, won the bypoll by 8114 votes against his closest contender, a nominee of the Congress party. While Ahir got 14,941 votes, Congress candidate Bhaktaram Sabar polled 6,827 votes. With 4,530 votes in her favour, saffron candidate Phuleswar Bhoi was relegated to the third place. The State Election Commission (SEC) would announce the result July 22.
Ahir and his son Sushil had been injured as supporters of BJD and BJP candidates clashed at Kurumpuri Chowk on NH-353 under Lakhna police limits at night last Friday. Out of the 14 ZP seats, elections had been held earlier for the 13 slots. The election for Komna zone-II was then put on hold by the Orissa High Court in response to a petition demanding carving out of a separate gram panchayat. Of the 13 seats, eight had gone to the ruling BJD while the Congress won the remaining five seats.
The bypoll outcome came as an embarrassment to the BJP, as it failed to open an account in the district constituency that is represented by state BJP president Basant Panda in the assembly. Panda responded thus: “The ruling BJD has misused government machinery, its financial clout and muscle power to win the election.”
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