Political tempers flare up in the campaign for Odisha bypoll

Political tempers flared in Odisha as the campaign for the Nuapada Assembly bypoll gathered momentum with Chief Minister Mohan Majhi addressing a public rally in the district.

BJP candidate Jay Dholakia, who was scheduled to file his nomination on Wednesday, postponed it to a later date.

“Our main objective is to transform Nuapada from an aspirational district into one of Odisha’s leading districts. I assure you that my sincere efforts for the development of Nuapada will continue. Together, we will build Nuapada into one of the finest districts of Odisha,” said Mr. Majhi.

Taking a dig at former CM Naveen Patnaik, Mr. Majhi accused him of making “false promises during elections” and “conveniently forgetting them once polls were over.”

“Our approach is simple — what we promise, we deliver. When I came to pay homage to former minister Rajendra Dholakia, whose demise necessitated this bypoll, I had promised development for Nuapada. Soon after, projects worth Rs. 1,100 crore were sanctioned for the district,” the CM said.

In a boost to the BJP, former Khariar MLA and BJD leader Lambodhar Nial joined the saffron party along with his supporters ahead of the bypoll.

The Biju Janata Dal (BJD), however, hit back sharply, alleging that “destruction, not development,” had marked the last 16 months under the BJP government.

“CM Majhi’s frustration was evident in his speech — his remarks lacked substance,” said Lelin Mohanty, BJD spokesperson.

He reminded that it was under Biju Patnaik’s leadership that Nuapada became a separate district, and under Naveen Patnaik, its pace of development accelerated.

“Once known as a drought-prone region, Nuapada made remarkable progress in agriculture following the Upper Jonk and Lower Indra irrigation projects. Likewise, the construction of the Biju Expressway brought historic improvement in connectivity,” Mr. Mohanty added.

The BJD released purported photographs showing rows of vacant chairs and unused food containers at the Odisha CM’s public meeting, claiming that supporters had failed to turn up for the event.