Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the principal Opposition party in Odisha, today announced former minister Snehangini Chhuria as its candidate for the upcoming Nuapada by-election. 

“Snehangini Chhuria, a strong woman leader from the Western Odisha, will be the BJD candidate for ensuing by-election in Nuapada. She had served as minister in Odisha for several terms in the past. She has done many good things for the people of the state during her tenure as a minister,” said BJD supremo and former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at a press conference at his residence in the capital city here.

Patnaik, the Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly, made it clear that he would campaign for BJD candidate in the by-election. “I will be visiting Nuapada for the bypoll,” said Patnaik, a five-time former Chief Minister of Odisha.

The by-election for Nuapada Assembly seat was necessitated due to the death of sitting MLA Rajendra Dholakia on September 8. The polling is scheduled to be held on November 11.  

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has nominated the deceased MLA’s son Jay Dholakia as its candidate for the bypoll. Jay joined the BJP a few days ago. The Congress party has picked tribal leader Ghasiram Majhi as its nominee for the by-election.

Notably, Chhuria had lost the 2024 Assembly polls to BJP nominee Nihar Ranjan Mahananda from Attabira constituency in Bargarh. However, she has been appointed as the president of Biju Mahila Janata Dal (BMJD), the women wing of Opposition BJD, recently.   

It is worth mentioning here that Rajendra Dholakia had been elected to the Odisha Assembly from Nuapada seat for four times since 2004.

He first won the Assembly election from Nuapada as an independent nominee and then retained the seat in 2009, 2019 and 2024 on BJD tickets. He had also served as a minister in the BJD government under then Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Dholakia had defeated independent nominee Ghasiram Majhi by a margin of around 11,000 in 2024 Assembly polls. The former minister had secured 61,822 votes while Majhi was polled 50,941 votes.

BJP candidate Abhinandan Panda, the son of former MP Basanta Panda, got third position with 44,814 votes. Congress candidate Sarat Patnaik secured the fourth position with 15,501 votes.