The BJP has scored a very convincing victory in Nuapada by-poll with its candidate winning by a record margin of votes. Equally significant is the fact that BJD, the main opposition party in the state, was placed third in the contest. The outcome is certain to have implications for BJD supremo and former chief minister Naveen Patnaik whose leadership qualities are suddenly under the scanner.
Chief minister Mohan Majhi has passed the Nuapada test with flying colours with his party candidate Jay Dholakia, the son of a former Biju Janata Dal leader and MLA, Rajendra Dholakia, winning the Nuapada assembly seat by a huge margin of 83,748 votes. He secured 1,23,869 votes, around 59% of the total votes cast in the by-poll held on November 11.
Significantly, Dholakia’s nearest rival was Congress’s Ghasi Ram Majhi and not BJD candidate and former minister Snehangini Chhuria who was placed third. This was perhaps the first time in a long time that a prominent BJD candidate failed even to be a the runners-up in an electoral contest in the state.
While Ghasi Ram Majhi came second with 40,121 votes, BJD’s Snehangini Chhuria was at third with 38,408 votes. The rest of the 11 candidates forfeited their security deposits. The bypoll was necessitated by the death of four-term BJD MLA Rajendra Dholakia on September 8.
The election had assumed significance as it was the first electoral test for chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s government, which ended the BJD’s 24-year uninterrupted governance in May 2024. For Majhi, who is said to have visited the constituency at least six times during campaigning, the victory signifies crucial validation of his leadership.
The record-breaking voter turnout of 83.45 per cent — significantly higher than the 75.44 per cent recorded in the 2024 assembly elections — was the highest participation rate among the eight by-polls conducted nationwide. While chief minister Mohan Majhi thanked the voters for reposing faith in him and his party state BJP chief Manmohan Samal said the emphatic win showed that “voters have rejected the BJD decisively”. Samal said the success was also due to the Subhadra Yojana, a women-centric welfare scheme launched by the Majhi government. “We won because people have faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision and our government’s delivery mechanisms,” he said.
While Congress candidate Ghasi Ram Majhi alleged that the BJP bought the voters with money Opposition BJD chief whip Pramila Mallik accused the BJP of distributing money during the silence period and campaigning inside polling booths. The BJP dismissed these allegations as “political frustration”.
The bypoll holds political significance as the first electoral test for the BJP since it ended the BJD’s 24-year rule in Odisha in May 2024. Chief minister Majhi visited Nuapada at least six times in the run-up to the bypoll, treating it as a prestige battle. For the BJD and its leader Naveen Patnaik, the constituency was a stronghold that they have lost. The defeat is certain to dent Patnaik’s credibility and his image as the BJD’s chief vote-catcher.
For BJD supremo and former chief minister Naveen Patnaik, the loss could have far reaching implications. Having ruled Odisha with an iron grip for nearly a quarter century, Patnaik now faces questions about his continued relevance as Leader of Opposition. With BJD coming third, political analysts feel that Patnaik’s electoral appeal is on the decline. This could embolden dissidents in the party.
The defeat has also raised questions about the position of state Congress chief Bhakta Charan Das, who was appointed as head of the state unit early this year. Das had succeeded in galvanising the party machinery across the state. But with Congress candidate securing less votes than he had secured as an independent in 2024 polls, the result could cause heartburn in the party that has been out of power in Odisha since 2000. It’s vote share has been consistently declining since 2000 when it was 33.77%. It fell further to just 13% in 2024. The Nuapada blow will be hard to digest for the party.
For the chief minister the verdict is people’s endorsement of his programmes and policies, especially his industrial drive which has attracted a lot of attention. Chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi has put Odisha firmly on the path of progress with focus on strengthening infrastructure and accelerating the process of industrialization. Majhi has been working with a clear goal in mind – making Odisha one of the front-ranking states of the country. In order to achieve this, he has kept his officials on their toes and ensured that they coordinate well with their central counterparts.
Results are there for everyone to see. The state government recently approved the ‘B-MAAN’ (Building and management of aviation assets and network) scheme with a total outlay of Rs 14,182 crore to make Odisha the aviation hub of eastern India. A meeting of the state cabinet, chaired by the chief minister gave its nod to this umbrella scheme for the growth of the aviation sector.
“The scheme aims to bring all aspects of aviation under one comprehensive framework. It is expected to position Odisha as a leading aviation hub in eastern India under the inclusive vision ‘Aviation for All’ (Samastanka pai biman seba)”, said chief secretary Manoj Ahuja.
The major components of the scheme include infrastructure development and modernisation, air connectivity and viable gap funding (VGP), maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) ecosystem, emerging technologies and innovation, cargo and logistics development, capacity building and skill development and institutional strengthening.
Under the scheme the state government will make provision for incentives to airlines to enhance regional air connectivity, linking tier-II and tier-III towns with major cities under UDAN and other schemes. The state will also establish world-class MRO facilities at Biju Patnaik International Airport and other strategic locations to create a self-reliant aviation maintenance ecosystem and attract private investment.
This apart, the state will also promote futuristic technologies such as drones, seaplanes, e-VTOL aircraft, and aerospace manufacturing, enabling Odisha to stay at the forefront of new-age aviation and green mobility. Strengthening air cargo infrastructure will be part of the scheme which will boost agricultural exports, industrial logistics, and time-sensitive trade.
The state will create large-scale employment opportunities through aviation-focused skilling, flight training, and specialised programmes for technicians, pilots and ground-handling professionals in partnership with reputed industry partners.
The state government has also approved 33 investment proposals worth Rs 1.46 lakh crore, including Adani Enterprises Limited’s coal-to-chemical project. The projects were cleared in the High-Level Clearance Authority (HLCA) meeting, chaired by the chief minister and the Single Window Clearance Committee (SLWCA) headed by chief secretary Manoj Ahuja.
The state is, thus, moving forward and so is BJP. Its rivals must do introspection.
