Bhubaneswar, November 9: Campaigning for the high-profile Nuapada Assembly by-election in Odisha wrapped up today, with the 48-hour silence period officially commencing at 5 pm.
"The electioneering for the Nuapada Assembly by-election has come to an end today, and the mandatory 48-hour silence period is now in effect," said RS Gopalan, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Odisha.
With the conclusion of the campaign, political leaders and activists from various regions who had gathered in Nuapada to support their respective candidates have now left the constituency, Gopalan added.
"Stringent security measures are in place to ensure smooth polling on November 11. Central security forces have been deployed across all polling booths, and 47 booths have been identified as sensitive," the CEO confirmed.
The by-election was called following the death of sitting BJD MLA Rajendra Dholakia on September 8. Dholakia had represented the Nuapada constituency for four consecutive terms, winning the seat since 2004.
In the 2019 Odisha Assembly elections, Dholakia secured a victory by defeating independent candidate Ghasiram Majhi by over 11,000 votes. Dholakia received 61,822 votes, while Majhi garnered 50,941 votes. BJP's Abhinandan Panda, son of former MP Basanta Panda, finished in third place with 44,814 votes, and Congress candidate Sarat Patnaik took the fourth position with 15,501 votes.
Candidates for the By-poll
The by-election sees a competitive field, with 14 candidates in the fray, including eight independents. The BJP has fielded Jay Dholakia, the son of the late Rajendra Dholakia, as their candidate. Former minister Snehangini Chhuria is contesting on behalf of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), while Ghasiram Majhi, the tribal leader, is running for Congress.
A slew of political heavyweights have campaigned for the respective candidates. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, his Chhattisgarh counterpart Vishnu Deo Sai, Deputy Chief Ministers KV Singh Deo and Pravati Parida, along with BJP Odisha president Manmohan Samal, were among those who rallied for Jay Dholakia.
On the other side, former Chief Minister and current Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik spearheaded the BJD campaign for Snehangini Chhuria. Congress's Bhakta Charan Das, along with senior leaders like Niranjan Patnaik, Srikanta Jena, and Jaydev Jena, campaigned for Ghasiram Majhi.
The vote count will take place on November 14, determining the outcome of this crucial by-election in Nuapada.
