Bhubaneswar: BJP leader Dharmendra Pradhan today thanked the people of Sambalpur over his victory in the election to the parliamentary constituency.

"I express my gratitude to the people of the Sambalpur Lok Sabha constituency for their blessings and giving me the opportunity to serve them. This victory is not mine but belongs to all of you," Pradhan posted on 'X'.

"I remain indebted to you all for placing your trust in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and me by voting and making this victory possible. I extend my congratulations and best wishes to all BJP workers for this historic victory," he added.

Pradhan's nearest rival BJD's Pranab Prakash Das also congratulated Pradhan over the win. He expressed hope that Pradhan would work for the development of Sambalpur.

The Lok Sabha seat was one of the most prestigious and high-profile constituencies in the General Elections in Odisha as two heavyweights-- Dharmendra Pradhan and Pranab Prakash Das-- locked horns for the seat.

The contest was also being termed as a 'prestige battle' between the two senior political leaders.

As per latest data, Pradhan was ahead of Das with a mammoth margin of 117068 votes. While Pradhan got 584844 votes, 467776 votes were polled in the favour of Das.