BJP Bets On Legacy Switch As BJD Faces Local Backlash In Nuapada Bypoll

Bhaleswar: As we move through the dusty streets of Nuapada assembly constituency in Western Odisha, where bypolls are bound, the walls of houses, schools and government offices are covered with colorful posters to attract attention. Political graffiti tells its own story of shifting allegiances, old politics and the testing of regional pride.

Nuapada, a border district adjoining Chhattisgarh’s Mahasamund, will go to polls on November 11 following the death of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA Rajendra Dholakia on September 8. His demise triggered a contest between the BJD, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress that quickly turned into a battle for prestige.

Initially, the BJD had almost finalized Jay Dholakia, son of the late MLA, as its candidate; This was a move in line with the party’s tradition of relying on dynastic sympathies. But surprisingly, Jay defected to the BJP and the latter immediately nominated him.

Caught off guard, the BJD scrambled to find a replacement and chose Snehangini Chhuria, president of the party’s women wing and a two-time MLA from neighboring Bargarh district. But his candidacy sparked discontent among local voters, who questioned why a candidate 100 miles away should represent Nuapada.

Sensing the backlash, the BJD seems to have recalibrated its campaign. The initial posters, which featured Chhuria alongside party leader Naveen Patnaik, were quietly replaced. The new images show Patnaik surrounded by portraits of Biju Patnaik, for whom the party is named, and the late Rajendra Dholakia, in what observers describe as a sentimental and symbolic retreat into old politics.

Meanwhile, the BJP has weaponized Chhuria’s “outsider” image, turning it into a rallying cry. The campaign slogan – “Hamare area mein jiska nahi Aadhaar card, uski yahan parchi fad” (“Tear the voter card of everyone who does not belong to Nuapada”) struck a chord with local voters.

The Congress, though lagging behind in organizational terms, hopes to eliminate polarization with the nomination of tribal leader Ghasiram Majhi. The party posters, featuring Majhi, PCC chief Bhakta Charan Das and Rahul Gandhi, seek to galvanize the Congress’ traditional base in the tribal-dominated region.

As election day approaches, Nuapada stands at the crossroads of heritage and locality; Sympathy is met with suspicion here, and every poster on every wall whispers a different story about Odisha’s changing political terrain.