The Congress party has taken the lead in announcing its candidate for the Nuapada Assembly by-election, naming Ghasiram Majhi in a bid to gain an early advantage. Meanwhile, both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) are engaged in intense deliberations over their nominees. Sources indicate that the BJP’s core committee meeting, scheduled for Thursday, may finalise a shortlist of potential candidates after thorough discussions.
The BJP is carefully considering its options for the contest. The core committee meeting will convene at the state party office, chaired by state BJP president Manmohan Samal. It will include the two in-charges, core committee members, national organisational general secretary B.L. Santosh, and national organiser V. Satish, who are currently visiting Odisha. State BJP in-charge Vijay Pal Singh Tomar stated that several aspirants are in contention, and the meeting will deliberate on them. He expressed confidence that the BJP will announce its candidate soon and secure victory in the seat.
On the BJD front, there is speculation that Jay Dholakia, son of the late Rajendra Dholakia, could be fielded. BJD senior vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra highlighted that the late Dholakia was a skilled politician and social leader. He emphasised that the BJD candidate will win in his absence, noting local party leaders’ sentiment to grant the ticket to his family. Dholakia had contributed significantly to Nuapada’s development and won the seat four times. Mishra added that the party is discussing options, and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik will announce the candidate after careful consideration of all aspects. His remarks suggest a strong likelihood of Jay Dholakia being selected, especially as Jay has previously expressed interest in contesting on a BJD ticket in media statements.
This by-election poses a critical test for the BJP, marking the first such poll since the party formed the government in the state. The BJP is pulling out all stops to win, with Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi attending the late Dholakia’s condolence meeting, describing him as a good friend and declaring Nuapada as his responsibility.
Subsequently, Majhi visited Nuapada to inaugurate and announce projects worth over Rs 1,100 crore. The BJP might renominate Abhinandan Panda, son of senior leader Basant Panda, or even field state president Manmohan Samal, as speculated on social media.
The BJD, on the other hand, aims to retain its stronghold by leveraging sympathy votes through Jay Dholakia. Congress, having finished second in the 2024 elections, hopes to challenge the frontrunners with Ghasiram Majhi.
