Nuapada: A high drama unfolded in the Nuapada Assembly constituency, where bypoll is scheduled for November 11, after a magistrate accompanied by armed security personnel conducted a raid at BJD star campaigner Pritiranjan Gharai’s rented house on Khariar Road in the district on Friday.
Though the search reportedly yielded no recoveries, the move triggered strong protests from BJD leaders, who questioned the intent and timing of the raid, and attempted to block the convoy. They also confronted the magistrate, demanding to know on whose orders the raid was conducted. “Will you act the same way if we lodge complaints against BJP leaders campaigning in Nuapada?” one of them asked, expressing anger over what they termed “selective action” by the administration.
Reports indicate that the searches were conducted amid allegations that a huge amount of cash was stacked at the rented house of Gharai.
“The raid was carried out without a search warrant or valid reason. The raid team claimed that they acted on the Election Commission order, but failed to produce an official order. A man named Mr Panda in the team first knocked on the door when Gharai was not home. He had gone to his panchayat for electioneering,” senior BJD leader Debi Prasad Mishra alleged.
“He (a person who was present at home) asked for time to wear a vest, but was not allowed. They searched the house, and he was sitting nearby. When he asked for a glass of water, he was kicked in his waist . You can get the version of Panda Babu. BJD condemns such a barbaric attack,” he added.
Later at a press briefing, BJD spokesperson and media coordinator Lenin Mohanty described the raid as a sign of BJP’s desperation. “As BJP’s position weakens in the bypoll, it is resorting to underhand tactics to demoralise BJD workers,” Mohanty said.
The BJP, however, dismissed the allegations, asserting that the administrative machinery operates independently under the Election Commission during elections. “They have been indulging in such blame game, sensing their imminent defeat in the Nuapada bypoll,” saod BJP state spokesperson Manoj Mohapatra.
Earlier, police had carried out searches at the Congress office in Nuapada, drawing criticism from opposition parties over alleged bias in enforcement actions.
The by-election, necessitated due to the demise of BJD MLA Rajendra Dholakia, has been witnessing interesting developments since the beginning. Dholakia’s son Jay, who was once tipped to become the BJD candidate, switched sides to the ruling BJP and became its candidate. Pushed to the wall, BJD president Naveen Patnaik tried to pull a rabbit out of the hat by nominating former minister and the two-time Attabira MLA Snehangini Chhuria, hoping to capture a good portion of the SC and backward class votes who have a sizeable presence in the constituency and keep its women’s vote bank from completely going to the BJP kitty courtesy the Subhadra Yojana.
The Congress has fielded its old horse Ghasiram Majhi, who has unsuccessfully contested from Nuapada five times earlier.
While the bypoll is a battle of prestige and legacy for BJD, it is the first electoral test for Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi after the formation of the BJP’s maiden government in the state in 2024. It is also crucial for the Congress, which has been trying to revive its fortune in the state.
