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Jharsuguda bypoll: BJD's Dipali Das on lead with margin of 48,721 votes

The by-poll for the Jharsuguda assembly constituency was conducted on May 10, with a voter turnout of 79.21 percent.

Published on: May 13, 2023, 13:03:41 IST
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The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) emerged victorious in the Jharsuguda assembly constituency by-polls as counting concluded on Saturday. BJD candidate Dipali Das is leading by a significant margin of 48,721votes, securing a total of 1,07,198 votes, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) secured 68,477 votes. The Congress, on the other hand, managed to secure only 4,496 votes, as per the Election Commission.

The Jharsuguda bypoll in Odisha was necessitated following the murder of former health minister Naba Kishore Das, and the chief minister Naveen Patnaik-led BJD gave ticket to Das’ daughter, Deepali Das. (File/ANI)
The Jharsuguda bypoll in Odisha was necessitated following the murder of former health minister Naba Kishore Das, and the chief minister Naveen Patnaik-led BJD gave ticket to Das’ daughter, Deepali Das. (File/ANI)

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The by-poll for the Jharsuguda assembly constituency was conducted on May 10, with a voter turnout of 79.21 percent out of the 2.21 lakh eligible voters. The by-poll was necessitated following the alleged assassination of the state's health minister, Naba Kisore Das, on January 29, by a police officer.

Deepali Das, daughter of the late Naba Kishore Das, who was a former minister and MLA, contested the Jharsuguda by-poll after her father's unfortunate demise.

“I would like to thank the people of Jharsuguda and our leader Naveen Patnaik for showing trust in me, This huge will belongs to the people of Jharsuguda, Party works and leader and the supporters who supported me to make it possible, I am committed to fulfilling the commitment made to the people and the dreams of my late father Naba Das,” after her victory, the BJD candidate was quoted by ANI as saying.

Out of the nine candidates in the fray, the contest was primarily between three nominees - Deepali Das of the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Tarun Pandey of the Congress, and Tankadhar Tripathy of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Despite the tough competition, Deepali Das emerged as the clear winner, securing a significant lead over her opponents.

The results of the by-poll in Jharsuguda are unlikely to affect the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government led by Naveen Patnaik, as the party enjoys a comfortable majority in the 147-member Odisha Assembly. Currently, the BJD holds 113 seats, while the opposition BJP and Congress have 22 and 9 MLAs, respectively. The CPI (M) has one member, and there is one independent legislator.

(With inputs from agencies)

  • Lingamgunta Nirmitha Rao
    ABOUT THE AUTHOR
    Lingamgunta Nirmitha Rao

    Nirmitha Rao is a journalist at Hindustan Times, covering political and human interest stories with a keen focus on science and environmental journalism.

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