Bhubaneswar: Former minister Snehangini Chhuria, who is the BJD candidate for Nuapada bypoll, on Thursday fired salvo at rival BJP nominee Jay Dholakia, accusing him of betraying the legacy of his father Rajendra Dholakia.
“People of the constituency are disgusted with his son for switching sides for his selfish interests and are calling him a betrayer. He sold himself to the BJP. The BJD supported and stood by Rajendra Dholakia when he came from Gujarat and contested from Nuapada. Naveen Patnaik also made him a minister in his cabinet,” she told a news channel.
Jay, who was once seen as the probable BJD nominee for the bypoll, joined BJP last week.
Senior Dholakia was four-time MLA from Nuapada constituency. He was first elected to Odisha Legislative Assembly in 2004 as an Independent. He contested the 2009 election as BJD candidate and retained the seat but lost to BJP’s Basanta Kumar Panda in 2014. He regained his midas touch and wrested the seat back in 2019 elections, which he again retained in 2024 elections despite BJD’s dismal performance.
Snehangini further stated that the BJD remains undeterred by the changing equations in politics. “Some more leaders may switch parties because of family and business ties. But this will in no way have any impact on our party. The BJD will continue to exude strength and confidence under the leadership of Naveen Patnaik,” she asserted, adding that party hoppers are looked down upon.
She also rubbished the ‘outsider’ narrative. “I am daughter and daughter-in-law of western Odisha. Though I am from Padampur, my family roots are also in Nuapada. I was also an observer in the constituency. I have neither come from Rajasthan nor Gujarat. I am an Odia who can identify herself with the people of Nuapada. Those in the bypoll fray from other states are eyeing to loot the constituency. If elected, Nuapada will face the fate of other constituencies with BJP MLAs and see rampant loot of mines and minerals, encroachments of land and forests, leaving people with a begging bowl. The electorate is aware of it,” she said.
The former minister said the BJD has a strong organisation in Nuapada and sympathy of the people is with the party. “Nuapada was a sub-division and it was Biju Patnaik who upgraded it to a district. Later, Naveen Patnaik ensured development of the region. The BJP government did nothing for the district in the last 16 months and hurriedly unveiled a Rs 1100 crore development package just hours before the bypoll schedule was announced,” she said.
Snehangini said that Naveen Patnaik’s development policies and failure of the current government will be the key issues in the bypoll. She further added that the constituency has more female voters, who have always stood by Naveen Patnaik. “During the 2024 elections, the BJP had guaranteed a voucher of Rs 50,000 to every woman under ‘Subhadra Yojana’ but the government announced that only 1 crore beneficiaries will be paid in installments of Rs 5,000 each. In Nuapada, 30,000 women have been removed from the beneficiary list on some pretext or the other, leading to resentment among them which will translate into votes for BJD in the bypoll,” she said.
She further stated that the most women of Nuapada are part of the women SHGs, which was considered the major vote bank of BJD. “The farmers are also aggrieved with the BJP. The saffron party is contesting the bypoll only with a face, that too poached from BJD,” she added.
The by-election is scheduled for November 11 with vote counting on November 14.