Rayagda: Ruling Biju Janata dal (BJD) candidate Ganagadhar Puala won the by-election for Zilla Parishad president in Odisha’s Rayagada district on Wednesday.
Puala got 13 votes in the 21-member council while Congress candidate Asutosh Kilaka managed to secure only five votes though the party had 10 zilla parishad members.
Two zilla parishad members from BJP also voted despite the saffron party’s whip for abstaining from voting process.
Earlier, BJD had seven members, Congress 10 and BJP four members in the 21-member council.
The by-election was conducted after the seat fell vacant after the District and Sessions Judge Court declared election of late Purusottam Gamang of Congress null and void in December last year.
In 2017 zilla parishad elections, Gomango from Congress, Gangadhar Puala from BJD and Puspalata Mutika from BJP had contested for the post of president and Gomango won it.
Ms Kalinga