It seems my father has returned and if I have garnered two to three thousand more votes than what my father got, it is because of his blessings, said newly-elected Jharsuguda MLA, Dipali Das, who is the daughter of the departed health minister Naba Das.
“It had been a dream of my father to build a new Jharsuguda. And I will fulfill my father’s dreams, by following the guidance of the Chief Minister,” she said.
“Naba Das was a Royal Bengal Tiger. And I am a sherni (lioness). I would like to thank all the Jharsuguda people for showering their blessings on me. They have once again proved that how much they love the Chief Minister and my father,” she added.
When asked what helped the BJD win the election, her prompt answer was development. “The Biju Janata Dal has been working hard for development. As of now, no one can stop the light of development from shining on Jharsuguda,” she further added.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Tankadhar Tripathy said the mandate is an indication that the day is not far away when the BJP will be ruling the State.
“We had tried to reach out to the people. But the mandate says we have to reach out more and in an effective way. It’s a sign that the BJP will come to power in the State. What the mandate says to the party is to work a little bit harder, reach out to more people and strengthen the party,” said Tripathy.
Congress candidate, Tarun Pandey said the mandate went against him despite all possible efforts from his side and the party.
“During our door-to-door campaign, people would say they are with us. We have to find it out why their faith in us dwindled,” said Pandey.
In his reaction after the results, senior BJD leader Prasanna Acharya said, “I would like to thank the people of Jharsuguda for their mature decision. I would like to thank the workers who worked round the clock. But the credit must go to the leader of the party, our Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. The mandate has proved that his popularity is still intact.”
When asked about why his party suffered defeat, State BJP President Manmohan Samal said, “The loss we have suffered today is temporary in nature. In the long run, it will go in our favour. The ever-changing political equation will be good for the people of the State.”
Senior Congress leader Bhakta Charan Das said, “The day when we rise above us and start thinking about the party and leaders and we start getting united in an aggressive manner, everything will be solved.”