Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Thursday said that newly elected Nuapada MLA Jay Dholakia will be the “charioteer of development” in the district, as he addressed a grand felicitation ceremony at the BJP state headquarters a day after the party’s historic bypoll win.

Majhi said the BJP’s victory in Nuapada — a seat long considered a BJD stronghold — marks a turning point for the district’s development. Recalling the contribution of late Rajendra Dholakia, Jay Dholakia’s father, the Chief Minister launched a pointed critique at the BJD leadership.

Also Read: Nuapada bypoll victory reflects people’s trust in BJP govt: Odisha CM

Majhi targets BJD over treatment of late Rajendra Dholakia

He alleged that despite Rajendra Dholakia’s sacrifices for the BJD, party leaders failed to stand by the late MLA during his health crisis and did not even allow him to meet former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

“Is switching parties treachery? The BJD has offered tickets to several BJP leaders in the past. How is choosing Rajendra Dholakia’s son as our bypoll candidate treachery?” Majhi asked, adding that the people of Nuapada had given a “befitting reply” to Patnaik’s remark labelling Jay Dholakia as “treacherous.”

Also Read: Odisha: PM Modi thanks Nuapada people for BJP’s victory in bypoll

Jay Dholakia attributes victory to people of Nuapada

Odisha BJP president Manmohan Samal, speaking at the Vijay Utsav, lauded workers and voters for scripting “history in Nuapada,” while Jay Dholakia dedicated his sweeping win to the people.

“This is the victory of Nuapada’s people and its development,” he said.

Alsp Read: BJD fails to retain Nuapada as Odisha's ruling BJP wrests seat by record margin

Dholakia won the Nuapada bypoll with a massive margin of 83,748 votes, reclaiming a constituency once represented by his late father. He secured 1,23,869 votes, surpassing Rajendra Dholakia’s 2024 winning tally by over 62,000 votes.

The BJD, which held the seat in 2024, slipped to third place. Its candidate Snehangini Chhuria received 38,408 votes, while Congress candidate Ghasiram Majhi finished second with 40,121 votes.
Fourteen candidates contested the bypoll, including nine Independents. The election on November 11 saw an impressive 83.45% voter turnout, according to the Election Commission of India.

The bypoll was necessitated following the death of sitting MLA Rajendra Dholakia on September 8.