7 elected to PMC empowered standing committee

Patna: The election for seven members of the Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) empowered standing committee concluded at the Patna Collectorate on Saturday. Two new members and five sitting members were elected. Sunita Devi of ward 68 was elected unopposed, while Rajkumar Gupta of ward 38 secured his seat.The five members who retained their seats are Kumar Sanjeet (Ward 34), Shweta Rai (Ward 14), Anita Devi (Ward 22), Manoj Kumar (Ward 67), and Vinod Kumar (Ward 70). Anita Devi won by a narrow margin of one vote, securing 36 votes.Following amendments to the Bihar Municipal Act, 2007, under the Bihar Municipal (Amendment) Act, 2026, members of the standing committee are now elected by councillors instead of being selected by the mayor. Of the 75 councillors, 73 cast their votes in the election. Voting was conducted using ballot papers.Mayor Sita Sahu congratulated the elected members, saying, “This election marks the end of serial-number politics and the beginning of a more empowered Patna. The empowered standing committee is the backbone of the corporation, which prioritises the city’s development.”She added that the committee’s first meeting will be convened soon to take decisions on development schemes and matters of public interest.