Bhubaneswar, Sep 11: The forthcoming by-election in Odisha’s Nuapada Assembly constituency has turned into a prestige contest, with the BJP, BJD and Congress locking horns in what is expected to be a high-stakes triangular fight.

The seat fell vacant following the death of sitting BJD MLA Rajendra Dholakia. The ruling BJP is keen to use the bypoll to consolidate its hold in western Odisha, while the BJD hopes to defend the constituency and reaffirm the leadership of Naveen Patnaik. For the Congress, the by-election offers a chance to revive its sagging fortunes and project itself as a viable alternative to the BJP.

The 2024 Assembly election in Nuapada had thrown up a surprise, with Dholakia scraping through with 61,822 votes, narrowly ahead of independent Ghasiram Majhi, who secured 50,941 votes. The BJP candidate Abhinandan Panda trailed at 44,814, and Congress’s Sarat Pattanayak, despite being the state party chief at the time, polled just 15,501 votes.

This time, the Congress has inducted Ghasiram Majhi and fielded him as its official candidate, hoping to capitalise on his strong performance last year. “If you combine Ghasiram’s 50,000-plus votes with the Congress tally, it exceeds what the BJD secured. We are confident Nuapada will tilt in our favour,” PCC president Sarat Pattanayak told reporters.

The BJD, according to senior leader Pratap Jena, may nominate a member of the late MLA’s family, banking on sympathy and Patnaik’s track record in bypolls. “Naveen Babu has the best record in retaining seats in by-elections. We are confident of repeating the success here,” Jena said.

For the BJP, the bypoll is being pitched as a referendum on the Majhi government’s 15-month performance. Former party chief Basant Panda said the state administration had delivered on development and welfare. “The Subhadra Yojana, which assures at least Rs 10,000 annually to every poor woman, has generated tremendous goodwill. People will bless the BJP again,” he said.

With each party staking its prestige, the Nuapada bypoll is set to be one of the most closely tracked contests in Odisha’s political calendar.

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