Bargarh: Veteran Congress leader and three-time MLA from Padampur Assembly constituency Satya Bhusan Sahu lost his deposit in the bypoll, the result of which was declared on Thursday.
BJD’s Barsha Singh Bariha trounced her nearest rival and former MLA Pradip Purohit of BJP by a margin of 42,679 votes. Barsha secured 1,20,672 votes, which is more than 50% of the total 2,09,309 votes cast in Padampur while Purohit got 78,034. Veteran Sahu, however, could secure only 3,594 votes.
Although the Congress had finished third in the seat in both the 2014 and the 2019 polls, the party had still secured 31,179 and 32,787 votes respectively.
Speaking to the media, Sahu said that this is not ‘Janadesh (mandate of the people) but Danadesh (power of money)’. “The BJP and the BJD are in power at the Centre and state respectively. They are looting people and using that money to win elections,” he said.
He further said that earlier people voted for candidates and the work done by them. “Now, it is about how much one can spend to retain their vote bank. Congress cannot match the flow of money in such elections. Money overshadowed my good work,” he added.
Sahu, also a former government chief whip, had won the seat in 1980, 1985 and 2004 Assembly elections.
Also Read: Padampur Bypoll In Odisha: Sweet Revenge For BJD, Congress Loses Deposit; Check Final Results
