BJP’s Nuapada bypoll win leaves BJD, Congress desperate; political blame game begins

The Nuapada Assembly by-election outcome has triggered an intense round of political accusations, even as the BJP celebrated one of its largest margins in the constituency’s electoral history.

Party candidate Jay Dholakia, who won by over 80,000 votes, was greeted with elaborate celebrations at the BJP’s state headquarters in Bhubaneswar today, marking the first major electoral test for the new ‘double-engine government’ after taking office.

BJP Asserts Shift In Voter Mood

The BJP described the verdict as a defining political moment for Nuapada. At Jay Dholakia’s felicitation event at the state headquarters, party leaders, including CM Mohan Majhi and BJP state chief Manmohan Samal, said the margin signalled a decisive endorsement of both the state and the central leadership.

Dholakia, addressing the party workers, said the result was a direct response to individuals who had dismissed him during the campaign. “This mandate answers those who questioned my credibility. The people have spoken,” he told supporters after receiving his certificate of election.

BJD Claims State Machinery Backed BJP

The victory celebrations, however, unfolded amid strong objections from opposition parties. BJD veteran Rabi Narayan Nanda alleged that the ruling party benefited from the involvement of state agencies.

“This election saw the entire administrative system lining up behind the BJP. From police personnel to field officials, everyone seemed to be functioning as BJP flag-bearers,” Nanda said, insisting that the bypoll atmosphere demonstrated ‘institutional interference’ on the ground.

Congress Alleges Bribes And Intimidation

Congress spokesperson Manisha Das Patnaik levelled similar charges, alleging direct inducements to influence voters.

“We informed the Election Commission that money was being distributed through sarees and packets. No action followed,” she claimed.

Patnaik also alleged that BJP workers had details of where Congress booth agents were stationed and that these agents were ‘offered money and threatened with consequences’.

“In states where the BJP is in power, the police often enable this distribution. Nuapada was no different,” she added.

ALSO READ: From third place to triumph in Nuapada: BJP’s Jay Dholakia achieves what his late father couldn’t

BJP ‘Exposes’ Desperation

Odisha BJP General Secretary Biranchi Tripathy rejected the allegations as baseless and said the absence of evidence undermined the Opposition’s claims.

“In today’s world, where everyone carries a mobile phone, it is extraordinary that not a single recorded clip exists to support these accusations,” Tripathy said.

He also argued that the results themselves contradict the charges. “If the BJD believed the state machinery was being misused, how did it slip to third place? This is the first time the party has fallen below second in any by-election since its formation. The numbers show that voters have withdrawn their confidence.”

Tripathy further claimed that the accusations reflected internal issues in the Opposition. “The Congress, doubting its own booth agents, demonstrates its organisational weakness. The people of Odisha have chosen development, and these excuses only reveal the inability of the BJD and Congress to manage their own cadres.”

“Brand Naveen” Takes A Hit

During interactions with OTV, political analysts noted that the BJD’s third-place finish carries symbolic weight and described the bypoll verdict as a moment where the long-standing dominance of ‘Brand Naveen’ appeared to falter, particularly in western Odisha.

Senior journalist Prasanna Mohanty, speaking during a panel discussion, said the numbers reflect ‘a reorganisation of political loyalties’ following the change of government.

According to him, the Nuapada message suggests that western districts may be re-evaluating traditional party alignments as the new administration settles in.

With the Congress securing second place, the BJD sliding to third, and the BJP achieving one of its largest margins in the constituency, political analysts say the bypoll’s message reaches beyond Nuapada and reflects the country’s changing political mood.