RAYAGADA: In a dramatic turn of events, a dissident BJD ZP member Sujata Mandangi was elected president here. She defeated the party nominee Damayanti Saraka with the help of the seven Congress members and two other dissidents. The Congress candidate Subrasmita Jilakara withdrew from race.In the 19-member ZP, the BJD had won 12 seats and the Congress, seven. There were no elections for three seats in Kashipur block with the Jhodias boycotting polls over their demand for ST status. Sujata is the daughter of BJD district president Ramamurti Mutika. BJD was jittery when Mutika and the three dissidents did not turn up for party meeting on Monday night. Mutika had all along been nursing the desire to get his daughter elected ZP president. He had earlier discussed the matter with SC and ST Development Minister Lal Bihari Himirika and BJD leader N Bhaskar Rao.However, this was not the first time that the Rayagada ZP witnessed such a situation. In 2001, Ketaki Gomango and Kurungi Ulaka of the Congress had bitterly fought over the ZP president post. Gomango had then become the president with the BJD blessings.
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