Bhubaneswar: The Nuapada Assembly constituency in western Odisha is poised for a triangular bypoll contest, with the ruling BJP, the opposition BJD and the Congress gearing up for a fierce showdown.
To cash in on the sympathy wave, the BJD is likely to field Joy Dholakia in the by-election, which was necessitated by the death of his father and four-time Nuapada MLA Rajendra Dholakia,
The party start as favourites with strong organisation and Dholakia’s goodwill and would leave no stones unturned to retain the seat.
Speaking to the media, Joy said that he had received the green light from BJD president Naveen Patnaik to get into poll mode after the condolence meetings. He added that the entire Nuapada unit of the BJD will fight the by-poll unitedly to retain the seat.
Naveen Patnaik is also likely to campaign to ensure the party projects a united face and wins the bypoll.
Joy also dismissed reports of being approached by rival parties, calling them baseless. “Such false news is being spread to create confusion within our party,” he added.
BJP, on the other hand, is likely to renominate Abhinandan Panda, who finished third in the last election. He is the son of Basanta Panda, who won the seat for the saffron party in 2014, and has a decent organisation in Nuapada.
The bypoll will also be the first electoral test for Mohan Majhi-Manmohan Samal duo after the BJP historic win in the 2024 twin polls. A victory here would not only increase its tally in assembly but also demonstrate that the 2024 win was no fluke.
The Congress, which is making efforts to re-establish its influence in the state, might give a ticket to Ghasiram Majhi, who contested as an Independent in 2024, as indicated by OPCC president Bhakta Das.
Ghasiram is an old hand and has a support base of his own. This was evident in the 2024 polls when he got more than 50,000 votes as an Independent to finish second behind Dholakia. The then OPCC president Sarat Patnaik had then finished fourth.
Ghasiram unsuccessfully fought the 2014 and 2019 elections on Congress ticket.
The Congress is eying a win in the bypoll with Ghasiram’s 50,000 plus 15,000 party votes, which Sarat Patnaik got in 2024 elections.
Bhakta Das is from Kalahandi and Nuapada is a neighbouring district (it was part of undivided Kalahandi district) and he would try hard to win this bypoll to prove that Congress is on the ascendant in Odisha.
Meanwhile, the Election Commission has begun the preparatory process, issuing a notice for the correction of the voters’ list. The final list will be published on October 9. As per norms, the by-election must be held within six months of the vacancy being notified.