Addressing supporters at Komna block in Nuapada, Patnaik charged that the BJP, having allegedly “stolen votes” in the past, is now resorting to “stealing candidates” ahead of the November 11 by-election. He directed his remarks at Jay Dholakia, son of the late BJD MLA Rajendra Dholakia who has defected to the BJP and is contesting the seat under its banner.
Patnaik described the switch as a profound betrayal of trust, saying: “This is a betrayal of the people, of the BJD and of me personally. The people of Nuapada will give a befitting reply to this betrayal on November 11.” He urged voters to back the BJD candidate Snehangini Chhuria and press the party’s conch symbol at the polls.
The by-election arises from the death of Rajendra Dholakia on September 8. The BJP has elevated his son to its ticket, a move the BJD casts as proof of “candidate chori” and of the BJP’s broader encroachments into BJD’s traditional stronghold. Patnaik framed the charge as part of a broader narrative: those who allegedly “stole votes” to form the government are now seeking to “steal candidates” to hold on to power.
On the campaign trail, Patnaik also lashed out at the BJP administration in Odisha for what he called a focus on propaganda rather than development. “During the last 16 months, the BJP government has only focused on publicity, not development. They are heroes in propaganda but zero in work. Development activities across the state have come to a standstill,” he claimed. His comments point to the BJD’s effort to position itself as the aggrieved party and default challenger to the BJP’s ascendance in the state.
BJD observers say this rhetoric marks a sharper turn in the party’s tone since it lost majority status in the state legislature in 2024, when the BJP captured 78 seats and reduced the BJD to 51 in the 147-member assembly. A former five-term chief minister, Patnaik’s first public meeting after a period of illness also signals the party’s intention to rally its cadre vigorously in an election it sees as symbolically significant.
The BJP counters that the BJD must answer for its own long tenure in power and that the defection of Jay Dholakia reflects democratic choice rather than coercion. BJP state president Manmohan Samal responded: “He is campaigning for his party candidate. I would like him to stay in Nuapada and continue campaigning till the end. He must answer the people about what development took place during the BJD’s 24-year rule.”