Nuapada: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) candidate Snehangini Chhuria officially launched her campaign for the upcoming Nuapada bye-election today with prayers and floral tributes at the Banjari Devi Temple.

Accompanied by senior party leaders, Chhuria sought the blessings of the Goddess before addressing her first campaign meeting. She said the BJD has always worked for selfless service and public welfare, adding that Nuapada district was created during the tenure of former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik.

Addressing the gathering, party leaders accused the BJP of failing to fulfil the aspirations of the people and neglecting essential infrastructure, welfare schemes, and development initiatives, which they said have directly affected livelihoods.

Earlier in the day, a tribal convention was held at the Adivasi Samaj Bhawan in Nuapada, drawing a large turnout of tribal leaders and community members. Speaking at the event, senior BJD leader Debi Prasad Mishra claimed significant development for tribal communities had taken place only under the leadership of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. He added the BJD government has always prioritised education, health, livelihood, and social justice for tribal populations.

Scene at the ground

For the bye-election, the BJP has fielded Jay Dholakia, while the Congress has nominated Ghasiram Majhi.

According to the Election Commission’s schedule, polling will be held on November 11, and counting of votes will take place on November 14. The last date for filing nominations was October 20, scrutiny was conducted on October 22, and the final date for withdrawal of nominations is October 24.

Also read:BJD releases list of star campaigners for Nuapada bypoll in Odisha

The bye-election was necessitated following the demise of sitting BJD MLA Rajendra Dholakia, a four-time legislator and former minister, who passed away on September 8, 2025, at the age of 69. In the 2024 Assembly elections, Dholakia had retained the seat with a margin of over 10,000 votes, defeating BJP’s Abhinandan Panda.