Nuapada Bypoll Result: BJP Secures Big Win As Jay Dholakia Triumphs By Over 83,000 Votes

BJP candidate Jay Dholakia registered a decisive victory in the Nuapada assembly bypoll in Odisha, winning by a margin of 83,748 votes on Friday, according to election officials. The Congress finished second, while the BJD slipped to third place, marking a significant political setback for the former ruling party. The result is seen as a major boost for the BJP and a prestige win for Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.

Dholakia secured 1,23,869 votes, while Congress candidate Ghasiram Majhi received 40,121 votes. BJD candidate Snehangini Chhuria followed with 38,408 votes. The Election Commission has yet to update the results on its official website. Jay Dholakia is the son of late BJD MLA Rajendra Dholakia, whose death had necessitated this bypoll.

This election was the first electoral contest in Odisha since last year's assembly polls, adding to the political importance of the outcome. For the BJP, the win strengthens its position in the state, while for Chief Minister Majhi - who visited Nuapada at least six times during the campaign - it marks a significant personal victory.

Congress securing the second position has also drawn attention as the party aims to replace the BJD as the principal opposition force in Odisha. For the BJD, which lost power in last year's assembly elections, this defeat further dampens morale.

The bypoll recorded a voter turnout of 83.45%, the highest among the eight by-elections held in the country. A total of 14 candidates were in the fray, and voting took place on November 11.

Reacting to the result, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi said the victory marked a new chapter in Odisha's political landscape. In a post on X, he said the outcome reflected the public's "complete faith and trust" in the government's policies and welfare programmes. He added that the people of Nuapada had "rejected the smear campaigns and false promises" of opposition parties and delivered a clear mandate for development.

Majhi also congratulated Jay Dholakia and expressed gratitude to the voters. He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership continued to shape the state's development agenda and that the government had been working "tirelessly day and night" for nearly one-and-a-half years. He added that the support from Nuapada had provided "new inspiration and strength."

BJP state president Manmoahn Samal also thanked voters for choosing "development," saying that longstanding issues in Nuapada had not been addressed by either the BJD or Congress, prompting people to back the BJP.

However, BJD vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra expressed shock at the margin of victory and alleged manipulation. He claimed the BJP used government machinery and said that despite pointing out irregularities, EC observers "became mute spectators."

Congress candidate Ghasiram Majhi, who was the runner-up in the 2024 assembly polls, alleged that money had influenced the outcome. He said his position had been strong throughout campaigning but changed in the final days "due to the money factor," adding, "Money is not god, but nothing less than god."