BJP’s Asha Mukesh Gontia is new President of District Panchayat

Staff Reporter

Asha Mukesh Gontia has been elected unopposed the President of District Panchayat. The Congress, lagging behind in the numbers, did not field any candidate. The President’s post became vacant after the resignation tendered by Santosh Barkade, who now become a MLA of Sihora Assembly constituency. It may be noted that that just before the Assembly elections, Panchayat member Asha Gontia had left the Congress and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Asha had joined the BJP a month ago, increasing the BJP’s member count to 12 out of 17 in the 17-member District Panchayat, by bringing three Congress-supported members to the BJP.

The BJP’s strength has increased to 13 after Narendra Barkade won the election on the seat got vacated after resignation of former District Panchayat President Santosh Barkade. On the other hand, the Congress’s member count has now decreased to 4. The Congress had attained huge victory in the three-tier Panchayat elections, as nine Congress-supported members had reached the District Panchayat. It may be noted that in terms of numbers, the hope was entirely on the BJP winning the President’s post. Therefore, no one from the Congress filed nomination papers until the last moment. The District Panchayat President post has a reserved quota for Scheduled Tribe.