Kendrapada: BJD’s Bhisma Mohanty has been elected unopposed as the vice-chairperson of Kendrapada zilla parishad, filling a position that was vacant for 12 months.
The post became vacant in April last year when former vice-chairperson Ashok Pratihari resigned from his position and BJD to join the Congress. Pratihari unsuccessfully contested from the Rajnagar assembly seat on a Congress ticket.
Prior to the election, BJD supremo and chief minister Naveen Patnaik held consultations with all 29 BJD zilla parishad members in Bhubaneswar on Wednesday, reportedly to maintain party unity. Congress and BJP hold two and one seats, respectively, in the 32-member ZP. TNN