Bhubaneswar: The ruling BJP and Opposition BJD and Congress are pulling up their socks to keep the party machinery battle ready for the by-election to Nuapada Assembly constituency scheduled for November 11.
The stakes are high for all parties since it is the first bypoll, necessitated after the untimely demise of BJD MLA and former minister Rajendra Dholakia on September 8, since the Mohan Majhi government assumed office, leading to a complete change in the state’s political landscape.
Congress has already named Ghasiram Majhi as its nominee. The 63-year-old law graduate is an old hand and has a support base of his own, which was evident in the 2024 assembly election 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. The Congress is eying a win in the bypoll with Ghasiram’s 50,000 plus 15,000 party votes, which Sarat Patnaik got in the last elections.
“With our collective strength and determination, we will ensure his resounding victory and serve the people with sincerity and commitment,” Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhakta Charan Das said while announcing his name for the bypoll.
The BJP and BJD are still at the discussion table.
The regional on Wednesday constituted three key committees, comprising former ministers, sitting and ex-MLAs, a Rajya Sabha member and local functionaries with deep political roots in the region, to spearhead the party’s campaign for the upcoming by-election.
Though a formal announcement is awaited, BJD senior vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra subtly indicated that the party would field Dholakia’s son Joy as its candidate. “We will retain the seat based on our good work for Nuapada. The BJD president will announce the name of the candidate at an appropriate time. Dholakia was popular in Nuapada and thus elected to the Assembly four times. The sentiment of local BJD leaders is with his family,” he told the media.
BJP prabhari (in-charge) for Odisha Vijaypal Singh Tomar also told reporters that the party will soon announce its candidate for Nuapada bypoll. “Our core committee will discuss the candidate for Nuapada at its meeting on Thursday. The BJP candidate will certainly win the by-poll,” he said.
He, however, downplayed reports about state BJP president Manmohan Samal contesting from Nuapada.
BJP National General Secretary (Org) B L Santosh and National Organiser V Satish are likely to attend the meeting.
Meanwhile, the Lotus party held a crucial meeting at its state headquarters in Bhubaneswar to review preparations for the upcoming by-election. Senior leaders also discussed campaign strategy, ground reports, and potential candidates. The list include Jadumani Panigrahi, who contested as an independent in 2019; Sonia Jain, chairperson of Khariar Road NAC; former state BJP president and ex-MP Basanta Panda and his son Abhinandan Panda, the party’s 2024 nominee from the seat.
BJP insiders, however, said the party “may spring a surprise” if the leadership opts for a high-profile candidate to consolidate the region.
Since 2000, the seat had been represented thrice by the late Dholakia as a BJD legislator and once as an Independent, while former state BJP president Basanta Panda secured two victories.