Congress bags Angul, Athamallik bodies

ANGULl: Ruling BJD got a big jolt in Angul district on Thursday after voters rejected it in Angul municipality and Athamallik NAC, both considered BJD strongholds.
Of 23 wards in Angu,Congress got 14 seats and BJD could secure nine. Congress recorded a massive win in Athamallik by securing victory in nine seats while BJD and Independent got one seat each.
The defeat in Angul came as a major embarrassment for steel and mines minister Rajanikant Singh, who had done door-to-door campaigning in the district.Chief minister Naveen Patnaik too had addressed people here before the election. BJD's defeat in Athamallik, put a question mark on the future of the former minister and local MLA Sanjeeb Kumar Sahoo.
BJD, however, came close to getting majority in Talcher. While the ruling party won 10 seats, BJP and Congress won five and four respectively. Two seats went to independent candidates.
Local BJD leader Mahendra Bastia said, "We have improved our tally in Angul. We got seven seats 2008. This time we bagged nine in Angul."
Congress described the outcome as the beginning of the end of BJD rule in Angul district. "The results certainly reflect growing public disenchantment with the quality of governance by BJD and corruption in the district," a Congress leader said.