Dikhyaa Mohanty 
BJD, the BJP, and the Congress announce the names of their mayor candidates for the March 24 urban local body polls to elect Bhubaneswar’s first woman mayor. As per the Odisha Municipal Corporation (Amendment) Bill 2018, the mayor will be directly elected by the people and not from the ward councillors.
According to the reports, BJD announced names of the party’s mayor candidates for Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, and Berhampur municipal corporations. Journalist-turned-politician Sulochana Das was named the party’s mayor candidate for Bhubaneswar, while Subhash Singh and Sanghamitra Dalei have been named as the mayor candidates for Cuttack and Berhampur respectively.
BJD’s nominee Sulochana Dad did her early education at Binjharpur village school. After completing her graduation from Bhadrak college, she did her post-graduation from Ravenshaw University. Later she completed her Masters in Economics and Master in Journalism and Mass Communication, as well as got an LLB Degree from a reputed institution.
She received many accolades while working for persons with disabilities and senior citizens during her stint as the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities. She was instrumental in setting up an Integrated Infrastructure Complex for the rehabilitation of elderly persons, transgenders, drug addicts and destitute people in different districts.
Writer and social activist Dr Suniti Mund is BJP’s Mayor candidate for Bhubaneswar. She is a native of the Nuapada district, is the Chairperson of the Institute of Literature, Dakshya Foundation. She has also worked as a producer, director, and scriptwriter for TV serials, ad films, and documentaries.
Further Congress has announced Madhusmita Acharya as its candidate for the mayor post. She is a former president of the Kamala Nehru College in Bhubaneswar, and also an entrepreneur, sportsperson, and Odissi dancer. She is the daughter-in-law of former Congress MLA from Dharamsala, Kangali Charan Panda.
