Talsara result fitting reply to Kalinga Nagar firing : Cong

Bhubaneswar, Nov 2 (UNI) The jubilant Congress party today described the victory of its candidate in the bypoll to the Talsara (ST) Assembly seat as a 'befitting' reply to the Naveen Patnaik government, responsible for the death of 13 tribals in police firing in January last.

Congress President Jayadeb Jena said the victory of the Congress candidate in the bypoll signalled the beginning of the end of the Naveen Patnaik government.

''The electorate of Talsara had given a befitting reply to the BJD-BJP government for killing 13 innocent tribals of Kalinga Nagar in police firing,'' he said.

Former Congress Chief Minister Hemananda Biswal also said the tribal and Christian voters in Talsara had given a fitting reply to the Naveen Patnaik Government for the Kalinga Nagar firing.

The Talsara bypoll result would be the greatest set back to the BJD-BJP government in the state which pursued anti-tribal policies, Mr Biswal added.

BJP state President Juel Oram, while admitting the defeat of his party candidate, said he owned the moral responsibility for the defeat.

The party would review the reasons that led to the defeat of its candidate, he said.

Congress candidate Dr.Prafulla Majhi defeated BJP candidate Sahadeb Khakha by 2,574 votes in a multi-cornered contest in Talsara (ST) Assembly bypoll held on October 30. The bypoll was necessitated following the death of sitting Congress member Gajadhar Majhi.

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