Bargarh: The BJD is heading for a big win in the Padampur bypoll in Odisha’s Bargarh district with its nominee Barsha Singh Bariha ahead of her nearest rival Pradip Purohit of BJP by 35,296 votes after 20 rounds of counting.
Barsha has now got 1,04,183 votes, which is almost 50% of the total 2,09,309 votes cast in Padampur, which witnessed record-breaking polling at 81.29% on December 5.
Purohit has so far got 68,887 votes while Congress’ Satya Bhushan Sahu was a distant third with 3,210 votes.
This clearly indicates a shift in Congress votes to the ruling party and the lead can cross 40,000 unless the trend reverses.
The stakes were so high for the BJD after the Dhamnagar debacle, where BJP could stop the Conch party’s juggernaut after five successive bypoll wins, that party president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik physically campaigned for Barsha, marking his first trail appearance for any by-election since 2019. The BJD government also announced a Rs 200 crore input subsidy for farmers, a special package for kendu leaf pluckers and enhanced financial support to Mission Shakti ahead of the bypoll.
The party had also pressed its trusted old guard and all western Odisha leaders into action.
Speaking to the media, Barsha dedicated her win to the people of Padmanpur, leaders and workers of BJD and the CM. “I went to people with the development model of the BJD government and did not spew venom against anyone. I feel we could create a positive environment, which worked in our favour,” she said.
Barsha further said that she had to endure many personal attacks from opponents during the campaigning and the results are a reply to them.
Notably, the counting began at 8 am on Thursday at RMC Market Yard, Padampur, with nine platoons of state police and one platoon of Border Security Force deployed to ensure smooth conduct of the process. There will be 23 rounds of counting in total.
Vote Share After Initial Rounds
BJD: 57.44%
BJP: 37.98%
The BJD is getting nearly 16% more votes than in 2019 when its vote share was 41%.
The constituency has been witnessing close battles in the last two elections. In 2019, BJD’s Bijay Singh Bariha, who death necessitated this bypoll, defeated Purohit by a margin of 5,734 votes. Purohit had defeated Bariha by a margin of 4,513 votes in 2014.
In 2009 election, Bariha had defeated Congress’ Sahu by 18,066 votes.
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