Nuapada: The results of the Nuapada by-election have delivered a significant political tremor across the state, with the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate, Jay Dholakia, securing a massive victory. Shri Dholakia won by a commanding margin of over 83,000 votes, a surprising outcome that saw the state’s principal opposition, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), slip into an unprecedented third place. The Congress candidate, Shri Ghashiram Majhi, managed to finish second.

This by-election was the first electoral contest following the formation of the BJP government in the state, infusing the fight with immense prestige for all three major parties. The BJP’s strategy was notable: they fielded Jay Dholakia, the son of the late BJD MLA Rajendra Dholakia, at the eleventh hour, a move that is s

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