ARINDAM GANGULY, OP
Nuapada: The upcoming Nuapada byelection, necessitated by the untimely demise of MLA and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Rajendra Dholakia, has shaped up as a high-stakes political test for the three major parties in Odisha.
For the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), it marks the first electoral test since assuming power last year, gauging public response to its governance. On the other hand, the BJD, now in Opposition, faces a prestige fight to prove its organisational strength after losing office. The Congress, meanwhile, sees the contest as a chance to revive its footprint in the coastal state.
While the BJP has fielded Rajendra’s son Jay as its Nuapada candidate, the BJD has picked Snehangini Chhuria, a former legislator, for the contest. The Congress, on the other hand, has chosen Ghasiram Majhi, a tribal rights activist and longtime political figure in the region, for the high-stakes battle. The outcome of the November 11 byelection is expected to set the tone for future political battles in Odisha.
For Jay, the bypoll is much more than an electoral debut, it’s a mission to carry forward his father’s legacy. “My father worked tirelessly for the people of Nuapada. I have seen his commitment and service closely, and I will strive to carry forward his unfinished work,” he said.
Jay joined the BJP a few days before the bypoll candidate announcement, citing neglect by the BJD.
“After all that my father did for BJD and the district, when he was bedridden and fighting for his life, the party supremo did nothing — just a single phone call after his demise,” Jay said, taking a direct dig at the BJD leadership.
Jay’s campaign has received strong backing from BJP heavyweights, including CM Mohan Charan Majhi, who visited Nuapada multiple times, and Chhattisgarh CM Vishnu Deo Sai.
Chhuria, who had represented Attabira earlier, is now banking on Naveen Patnaik’s enduring popularity. The BJD supremo himself has campaigned multiple times in Nuapada, drawing massive crowds – a reflection of his personal connect in the region.
The BJP has, on multiple occasions, dubbed the BJD’s candidate as an ‘outsider’. Countering criticism of being an ‘outsider’, Chhuria retorted, “This is my uncle’s home. How can I be an outsider here?” She credited Naveen’s leadership for Nuapada’s development, citing welfare schemes such as Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana and Anwesha, which have benefitted rural and tribal populations.
“Under our government, Maoist threats have been eliminated, and peace returned to Nuapada,” she added.
Chhuria also accused the BJP-led government in the Centre of neglecting farmers, alleging urea shortages and halted scholarships. “Farmers and students are suffering under the JP’s rule,” she claimed.
On the other end of the triangle stands Ghasiram Majhi, a 62-year-old tribal leader with over four decades of grassroots activism. Majhi has contested for the Nuapada seat multiple times — three times for Congress and once as an independent candidate in 2024, when he secured over 50,000 votes and finished second.
“I am more confident than ever this time,” Majhi told Orissa POST. “I am more local than both other candidates and have the backing of tribals, OBCs, and minorities,” he said. State Congress leaders, including Bhakta Charan Das and Suresh Routray, and several MLAs from Chhattisgarh have campaigned for Majhi. AICC General Secretary Sachin Pilot will campaign for the party’s Nuapada candidate Sunday.
While the bypoll carries state-wide implications, local concerns remain central to voter sentiment. Migration and unemployment continue to haunt Nuapada’s rural belts, with thousands of families moving seasonally to other states in search of work. All major parties have promised job creation and better implementation of MGNREGA.
Infrastructure and development gaps are also in focus. The government has announced projects worth over Rs 1,100 crore. However, Opposition parties have dubbed it as ‘poll-timed promises’. Villagers cite erratic electricity and poor healthcare infrastructure as everyday challenges.
Agriculture and irrigation are pressing concerns. Erratic rainfall, limited canal coverage, and dependence on borewells have made farming uncertain. Farmers seek assured irrigation and better market access for their produce.
Political analyst Naba Kishore Pujari describes the byelection as a high-stakes triangular contest and Odisha’s first major electoral test since the BJP’s 2024 Assembly victory.
“With 14 candidates in the fray, three frontrunners emerge – BJP’s Jay Dholakia, BJD’s Snehangini Chhuria, and Congress’s Ghasiram Majhi. While campaigning has been intense, marked by roadshows and personal accusations, substantive issues like irrigation, healthcare, and migration have largely taken a backseat,” Pujari noted.
On the candidates, he said, “Jay combines youth with sympathy votes after his father’s demise, but his lack of political experience could be a liability. Chhuria brings experience and the emotional connect of the BJD supremo, yet her outsider tag could limit appeal. Majhi is a grassroots tribal leader with a clean image, but Congress’s weak structure makes him a long shot.”
Asked who has the upper hand, Pujari observed, “BJP holds an edge in certain blocks and may secure sympathy votes. But BJD’s massive rallies and loyal party workers make it a close contest. Congress may influence tribal votes, creating the possibility of a multi-cornered upset. Ultimately, voter turnout — expected at 70–75 per cent —and last-minute migrant returns will decide. Women, farmers, and tribal voters will be the key swing factors.”
Nuapada, located in Odisha’s western frontier adjoining Chhattisgarh, was once part of the Maoist-affected ‘Red Corridor’. In the early 2000s and 2010s, several parts of the district witnessed Maoist activity that disrupted road construction, forest development, and electioneering.
Over the years, increased policing, local cooperation, and state welfare outreach helped neutralise the threat. Today, Nuapada is largely peaceful, but the legacy of those years still shapes local consciousness, with voters valuing stability and development. Both BJD and BJP have sought to take credit for the restoration of peace, while Congress points to the need for inclusive growth.
Nuapada’s social fabric adds another layer of complexity to the contest. Situated along the Odisha–Chhattisgarh border, the constituency has a significant Hindi-speaking population, many of whom migrated from neighbouring Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. Their voting preferences often sway between parties, making them an influential bloc in a constituency with over 2.5 lakh voters.
Alongside the 40 per cent tribal electorate, OBC communities—particularly Yadavs— and Hindi-speaking traders and farmers hold the key to victory. Issues like irrigation, forest rights, farmer distress, and employment dominate voter concerns.
