Rajni Devi is new deputy mayor of Patna

PATNA: Rajni Devi (50), who represents ward number 22 (C), became the new deputy mayor of Patna Municipal Corporation on Thursday. She was administered the oath of office by Patna DM-cum-district electoral officer Chandrashekhar Singh here.
Rajni was elected as the deputy mayor after beating her nearest rival and cousin-in-law Suchitra Singh of ward 22 (B) by 74% votes, which was almost two-third majority.
Rajni was the hand-picked candidate of Patna mayor Sita Sahu while the opposition group led by former deputy mayor Meera Devi contested turncoat Suchitra, who is also a member of empowered standing committee of the civic body.
As many as 59 of 74 councillors participated in the voting process. Vote of one councillor was declared invalid by the magistrate and the observer appointed by the district administration. Rajni got 43 votes in her favour and Suchitra 15.
“The meeting to select the deputy mayor went on throughout the night on Wednesday. I was shocked when my own sister-in-law contested against me for the post. It was something that I had never expected,” Rajni said, adding she will try her best to live up to people’s expectations.
Rajni is the third deputy mayor of Patna in last four years. She had earlier contested for the mayoral election in 2017 against Sita Sahu. However, she lost by three votes.
Sahu congratulated the new deputy mayor and said development work pace in the city would gather pace now.
The DM said the processes of nomination, scrutiny, candidature withdrawal and preparation of ballot papers for the election of deputy mayor were completed peacefully.