Nuapada: BJP’s Jay Dholakia won the Nuapada bypoll by a margin of 83,748 votes, securing 1,23,869 votes.
Congress candidate Ghasi Ram Majhi finished second with 40,121 votes, while BJD’s Snehangini Chhuria came third with 38,408 votes.
Dholakia’s vote share stood at 58.27 per cent, followed by Majhi with 18.87 per cent and Chhuria with 18.07 per cent.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated Dholakia for winning the bypoll.
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“I thank the people of Nagrota in Jammu and Kashmir as well as Nuapada in Odisha for blessing the BJP with spectacular victories in the by-polls. Congratulations to the newly elected MLAs Devyani Rana Ji and Jay Dholakia Ji. Wishing them the very best in serving the people. Compliments to the BJP Karyakartas who worked round the clock to ensure these wins. @BJP4JnK @BJP4Odisha,” he posted on X.
The BJD’s drubbing is mostly attributed to Jay, the son of the late regional party MLA Rajendra Dholakia, whose death necessitated the bypoll, joining BJP few days before the elections.
The result of the bypoll, which was the first electoral contest held in the state after last year’s Assembly election, has come as a major boost for the BJP.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who visited Nuapada six times and extensively campaigned for BJP candidate Jay Dholakia, said the historic victory has ushered in a new chapter in the state’s political landscape.
Taking to X, Majhi said: “This victory proves the complete faith and trust of the general public in our government’s policies, ideals, and people-welfare programmes. The residents of Nuapada have completely rejected the smear campaigns and false promises of the opposition parties and, by supporting development, have given a clear mandate in favour of the BJP.”
While addressing party men and women at the state BJP headquarters here, Majhi said apart from the good governance in last 17 months, the Opposition BJD’s “jealousy” proved fatal for the regional outfit headed by Naveen Patnaik.
“Naveen Babu uttering word like ‘Beiman’ (traitor) against late Rajendra Dholakia’s family did not go well among the people. They have given a befitting reply to the BJD in the bypoll,” Majhi said.
Patnaik during his campaign had accused the ruling BJP of indulging in “candidate chori”.
Patnaik fielded the BJD’s women wing president, Snehangini Chhuria, in Nuapada. Majhi, on the other hand, had called Chhuria an “outsider”, as she hails from neighbouring Bargarh district.
The bypoll was widely seen as a prestige battle for Majhi and a test of Patnaik’s influence in Odisha politics following the BJD’s loss of power last year.
The Congress finishing second is also seen as significant, with the party hoping to replace the BJD as the principal opposition in the state.
For the BJD, the defeat, coming after its ouster from power, further dented its morale.
Patnaik congratulated party workers for their efforts and reminded them that they followed the ideology of Biju Patnaik, “who himself was a fighter”.
The Nuapada bypoll registered a turnout of 83.45 per cent, the highest among the eight by-elections held nationwide.
It also recorded the largest winning margin — 83,748 votes — in all the bypolls.
Of the 14 candidates in the fray, 11 lost their deposits.
Jay Dholakia’s tally of 1,23,869 votes was nearly double that of his father, who had won the seat last year with 61,822 votes and a margin of 10,881.
Meanwhile, overwhelmed by victory, Jay said, “I thank the people of Nuapada, our Prime Minister Narendra Modi, CM Mohan Charan Majhi and all senior leaders and workers. I will visit Lord Jagannath temple soon to seek blessings.”
“Under Modi’s ideals and guidance, our government has been working tirelessly day and night for the welfare of Odisha’s residents and the state’s development in the past nearly one-and-a-half years. The support of Nuapada’s residents has given us new inspiration and strength,” he said.
BJP state president Manmohan Samal thanked the people of Nuapada for choosing “development”.
“Nuapada has several problems which could not be resolved by either the BJD or Congress. Therefore, people supported the BJP, which is committed to developing the area,” he told reporters.
BJD vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra, who was in charge of the bypoll for the party, expressed surprise over the margin and alleged that the election was manipulated.
“It is a huge margin, which proves gross manipulation of the election by the BJP, using the government machinery. Though we pointed out several irregularities, the EC observers who were supposed to remain neutral also became mute spectators,” he alleged.
Congress candidate Majhi, who was the runner-up in the 2024 Assembly polls in the seat, alleged that “money played a major role” in the by-election.
“Though my position was very good all along electioneering, the situation changed during the last few days due to the money factor. Money is not god, but nothing less than god,” he said.
Odisha CEO RS Gopalan in a statement, said: “The vote counting process concluded smoothly, peacefully, and without any disruption.”
PNN & Agencies
