BJD’s Sasmita Melka, Koraput district council chairperson, abstained from voting(?).

Uttam Nayak,Odishabarta

Koraput: Sasmita Melka has been elected chairman of the Koraput district council.  He won the Zilla Parishad seat in Bandhugaon Zone 1, where elections were held this morning at the Sadbhavana Assembly constituency.  However, the Congress did not win a majority of 15 votes in the by-elections.  On the other hand, the BJD had 16 votes, but one vote was rejected.  Of the 29 members, 16 were from the BJD and 12 from the Congress, while 1 was rejected and the independent candidate did not vote.

At 10 a.m.BJD district president, Ishwar Panigrahi and supervisor Chandra Sarathi Behera and minister Padmini Dian met with all 16 BJD district councillors near the assembly hall and announced their names from the closed envelope for the district council chairperson.  Patangi MLA Patam Padi was present.  MLA Prasad Bahinipati and several other leaders were also present on behalf of the Congress party.  Following the announcement of the victory, the BJD won the toss.