Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Cuttack, Jun 4:

Congress candidate Gouri Das emerged victorious in the bypoll to the post of corporator in ward no- 21 of the Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC). Results of the poll, which was held yesterday, were announced today morning.

Pic Courtesy: www.dnaindia.com Pic Courtesy: www.dnaindia.com

Das won the by-election by a margin of 217 votes, sources said. While Das bagged 1601 votes, BJD candidate Tulasi Behera got 1384 votes and BJP's Padmini Behera polled 935 votes. The conch and the saffron party were at second and third spot, respectively.

The counting of votes started from 8 am in the morning at Rajabagicha school here. Yesterday, 60.13 per cent of 6,604 eligible voters of the ward had casted their votes at six booths.

There were reports of brawl between BJD and Congress supporters at Municipal Nodal School booth yesterday. They were allegedly trying to influence voters in support of their respective candidates. Normalcy returned at the booth after police resorted to mild lathi charge to disperse the supporters.

Notably, the by-poll was necessitated after corporator-cum-Mayor Anita Behera resigned from both the posts on December 29 last year following a controversy over her name figuring in the NFSA ration card list.