With the process of filing nomination for election to the Mayor of Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC) coming to an end on Monday, speculations have become rife over who will win the race for the coveted post.
The heavy-weights in the fray include BJD’s Subash Singh, BJP’s Sritam Das and Giribala Behera from the Congress party.
If the verdict in the recently concluded Panchayat elections’ and the BJD’s present wave in the State are any indication, it seems that the odds are in favour of Subash Singh.
A sexagenarian, Singh himself is a seasoned politician. Before joining the BJD in 2013, Singh held the post of vice president of CITU, Odisha and was a State secretariat member of CPM for long 10 years.
Known as a prominent trade union leader, Singh served as the chairperson of the Odisha Building and Other Construction Workers’ Welfare Board. Singh is still remembered for getting 30 lakh labourers registered. He has been a member of the Rajya Sabha since 2020.
When Singh went to the CMC office to file his nomination on Monday, he was seen brimming with confidence. After filing nominations, he had said he was sure that the people of Cuttack would vote him to power to provide the necessary impetus to Naveen Patnaik’s developmental projects and activities.
“The CM has a developmental plan for the Millennium city. He has chosen me to be a part of this plan. I hope the people of Cuttack city repose faith in me and vote me to the office,” Singh had said. Singh has a master’s degree in Political Science.
Even though, actor-turned-politician Sritam Das is making his political debut in the ULB election, he has the potential to give his competitors a good run for their money.
The 46 years old actor, who has an acting career spanning over a decade, switched over to politics in 2014 when he joined the BJP. A state executive member of the party’s Odisha unit, Das was made one of the star campaigners of the BJP during the 2019 general elections and the subsequent by-elections.
An MA LLB, Das has also done diploma in Human Rights. He thinks his long association with the people of Cuttack will make a lot difference in the political arena. Soon after filing his nomination papers on Monday, Das said he has the support of Cuttack city residents. “Because, I was born and brought up in Cuttack, I am well aware of the issues the city faces. If I win, will try my level best to address those,” Das had said.
The grand old party’s Mayoral candidate Giribala Behera is a known face in the Millennium City. In 2004, she was elected as a corporator of the CMC.
The 59 years old Behera is currently serving as the president of Congress’s city unit. Prior to this, she was the Mahila Congress president of Cuttack city.
An MA LLB, Behera has been known for being vocal against the BJD dispensation over women safety related issues. She had her tryst with politics during her student days in Ravenshaw and Christ colleges. She held key positions in the National Students’ Union of India (NSUI) and Indian Youth Congress.