Nuapada in celebration mode as BJP wins bypoll

NUAPADA: The decisive victory of BJP candidate Jay Dholakia in Nuapada by-election triggered massive celebrations at the party office in Khariar Road area here on Friday.

Jubilant BJP supporters celebrated by bursting crackers and beating drums as Jay secured a thumping win in the bypoll by a whopping margin of around 83,748 votes.

Expressing gratitude to the voters, Jay, son of former Nuapada MLA late Rajendra Dholakia, said the mandate reflected the people’s faith in BJP’s governance and his father’s legacy. “This victory belongs to the people of Nuapada, to development, to theand to my late father. It is also belongs to our chief minister and prime minister. It is because of my father’s blessings that I won with almost double the margin of votes that he had secured in the last election. The mandate of this bypoll has given a befitting reply to the opposition for its betrayer jibe.”According to official reports, Jay secured 1,23,869 votes, leaving his nearest rival and Congress candidate Ghasiram Majhi way behind with 40,121 votes. BJD candidate Snehangini Chhuria finished third with 38,408 votes.

Reacting sharply to the defeat, Congress candidate Majhi alleged large-scale use of money power by the BJP. “This was a money game. The BJP bought voters. Until last year, people chose the candidate; this time they chose money over character,” he claimed.He further alleged that voters were paid around Rs 5,000 each and even claimed some Congress polling agents switched sides due to financial inducements. “We ran out of funds towards the end. Perhaps that cost us. But I will not give up. I will contest at least three more times,” he asserted.

The bypoll result came as a significant setback for both the BJD and Congress. The BJD, which had maintained a stronghold in Nuapada since 2009 and won the seat in 2024 general election, not only relinquished the constituency but also slipped to third place, trailing Congress by 1,713 votes and losing to the BJP by a staggering 

Jay’s victory procession began at around 3:30 pm from his residence at Khariar Road amid beats of drums and cheers from supporters. After passing through Khariar Road, the procession moved to the BJP office in Nuapada NAC and later to Ekta chowk where Jay garlanded the statue of former minister and veteran Janata Dal leader late Ghasiram Majhi.