Bhubaneswar: Jay Dholakia’s spectacular victory as the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate in the by-election to Nuapada Assembly constituency in Odisha appeared to be the enactment of a similar event the state had witnessed around seven years ago.

The replay had begun with the induction of Jay Dholakia into the BJP a few days after the announcement of Nuapada by-election. ADVERTISEMENT

The by-election held in Bijepur in 2018 witnessed a drastic change in the political configuration in the constituency when sitting Congress MLA Subal Sahu’s widow Rita Sahu joined the BJD and became its candidate. The move was seen as an attempt by the then ruling party to cash in on the sympathy factor. The family of the three-time MLA from Bijepur also tried to justify the switch as the ‘last wish’

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