Bhubaneswar, Nov 4 (PTI) BJD president Naveen Patnaik's "candidate chori" and "betrayal" jibe targeting the ruling BJP during the election campaign in the Nuapada bypoll, snowballed into a major row on Tuesday with late MLA Rajendra Dholakia's wife Kalpana lashing out at the opposition party and accusing it of ignoring her husband during his illness.

Dholakia, a four-time Nuapada MLA and ex-minister, died of renal ailments at a hospital in Chennai on September 8. He was the sitting BJD MLA from the Nuapada seat. His death necessitated the Nuapada bypoll.

Dholakia's son Jay was tipped to become a BJD candidate in the by-poll, but he switched over to the BJP and became its candidate, leaving the regional party red-faced. The party has to field Snehangini Chhuria as its candidate in the by-

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