Bhubaneswar: The voting for the high-stakes Nuapada Assembly bypoll in Odisha will be held on November 11 (Tuesday).

The authorities have made all arrangements for smooth voting in the by-election.  Altogether 14 candidates, including eight independent nominees, are in the fray for the by-election.

The by-election was necessitated due to the demise of sitting Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA Rajendra Dholakia on September 8. Dholakia’s son Jay Dholakia is contesting the bypoll on a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) ticket while former minister Snehnagini Chhuria is trying her luck as a BJD nominee. Tribal leader Ghasiram Majhi is the Congress candidate for the bypoll.

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Apart from the candidates of three major political parties in Odisha, Ramakanta Hati of Samajwadi Party, Hemant Tandi of Bahujan Mukti Party, and Shukadhar Dandsena of Odisha Janata Dal, along with eight Independent candidates —Ashraya Mahandan, Chakranta Jena, Bhuvan Lal Sahu, Kishore Kumar Bag, Nita Bag, Lakshmikant Tandi, Bhaktabandhu Dharua, and Lochan Majhi—are contesting the bypoll.

Of the 358 polling booths in Nuapada, 47 booths have been identified as sensitive

The Assembly constituency has altogether 358 polling booths. Among them, 47 booths have been identified as sensitive, said the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) in Odisha today.

“The voting in the 47 sensitive booths will be held from 7 am to 4 pm while voters can exercise their franchise till 5 pm in the remaining booths. The counting of votes will be done on November 14,” it added.

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The district administration today sent polling officials as well as electronic voting machines (EVMs) to all 358 polling booths in Nuapada.

An Indian Airforce chopper was deployed to carry polling officials as well as EVMs to eight sensitive booths, located in the Maoist-affected areas in Nuapada. Security personnel, including Central forces, have been deployed at all polling booths, said the CEO’s office.

BJD’s Rajendra Dholakia had defeated Independent nominee Ghasiram Majhi by a margin of around 11,000 votes in 2024  

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 the then Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.  

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Dholakia had defeated independent nominee Ghasiram Majhi by a margin of around 11,000 votes 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, had to settle for third position with 44,814 votes. Congress candidate Sarat Patnaik secured the fourth position with 15,501 votes.