Bhubaneswar, Oct 21: The forthcoming by-election in Nuapada has evolved into far more than a routine contest — it has become a defining trial for Odisha’s three political giants, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and Congress. Each faces a moment of reckoning as shifting loyalties, rebellion, and strategic recalibrations converge in this western Odisha constituency.

Once an impregnable BJD bastion, Nuapada now reflects the regional party’s deepening internal unrest. The choice of Snehangini Chhuria, an outsider from Bargarh district, has sparked discontent among local workers. The result has been an exodus of over 50 sarpanchs, panchayat members, and grassroots supporters to the BJP, alongside the defection of senior leader Lambodhar Nial, once a Lok Sabha candidate from Kalahandi.

For over two decades, the BJD thrived on Naveen Patnaik’s charisma, discipline, and organisational unity. But after 2024, its aura of invincibility has begun to erode. The very tactics of defection and fragmentation that once powered the BJD’s rise are now being turned against it.

The BJP, sensing opportunity, has moved with calculated precision. Its biggest coup came when Jay Dholakia — son of late BJD MLA Rajendra Dholakia — joined the saffron camp. The move not only unsettled the BJD but also gave the BJP an emotional and symbolic edge. By inducting local heavyweights and launching an assertive grassroots campaign, the BJP has made it clear that it intends to wrest Nuapada at any cost.

Initially, the BJD tried to localise its strategy by forming district-level committees under Prasanna Acharya and excluding coastal leaders. Yet, the subsequent arrival of its veteran campaigners betrays unease within the ranks. For Snehangini Chhuria, the challenge remains steep — her 2024 defeat by nearly 29,000 votes and her residence 160 kilometres away from the constituency have become talking points against her. “Is there no leader from Nuapada?” has become a common refrain among locals.

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Meanwhile, the Congress, under PCC president Bhakta Charan Das, appears more organised than in past elections. With Ghasiram Majhi — who polled over 50,000 votes as a rebel in 2024 — back in the party fold, it hopes to consolidate the anti-incumbent vote.

For both Naveen Patnaik and Chief Minister Mohan Majhi, the stakes are monumental. A BJD loss could further dent Naveen’s shrinking aura after setbacks in Kantabanji and Hinjili, while a BJP win would bolster Majhi’s credibility as the state’s emerging power centre.

As political analyst Srirama Dash observes, “The Nuapada bypoll is not just a local fight — it’s a referendum on leadership, loyalty, and legacy.” Whether it turns out to be Naveen’s Waterloo or Majhi’s moment of triumph will be revealed only when the votes are counted.