On November 14, along with the Bihar Assembly elections, the results of the Nuapada bypolls were also announced. BJP candidate and first-time contestant Jay Dholakia won a decisive victory over his rivals, Ghasiram Majhi from Congress and Snehangini Chhuria from the BJD.
Jay Dholakia’s winning margin of 83,000 plus votes, polling 123757 votes out of the total 212381 votes cast, also tells a story of how strong his campaign has been.
Behind the victory, however, is the grievance of a family that was neglected. Nuapada’s 4-time MLA Rajendra Dholakia, Jay Dholakia’s father, passed away in September this year after struggling with an illness. He was 69, and a senior BJD leader.
Jay Dholakia had joined the BJP after his father’s death, citing negligence and lack of support from the BJD leadership during his father’s illness and after his death. Jay’s mother and the late MLA’s wife, Kalpana Dholakia, had also supported the decision, stating that BJD chief Naveen Patnaik and the senior leadership of the party did not provide adequate support to the family when the late MLA was battling illness and even after his death. They said Patnaik never came to meet them or even called them when they were getting treatment for Rajendra Dholakia, or even after his death.
When Jay decided to join the BJP, BJD chief Naveen Patnaik openly blamed the BJP for ‘stealing their candidate’. He called Jay’s nomination as a ‘candidate chori’ and also accused the state BJP government of misusing the state machinery to ‘steal’ BJD’s voter base.
Jay, however, shot back at BJD. Speaking to the media, he had cited negligence and lack of compassion in the senior BJD leadership for their 4-time MLA. “BJD not only ignored my father during his illness, but they also disregarded his legacy after his death. That pain and betrayal made me realise where true respect for workers and leaders lies, in the BJP. I joined the BJP because it values commitment, not convenience”.
Jay Dholakia’s massive victory has made many things clear in Odisha’s current political scenario. The BJD’s effect is faltering and BJP is gaining strength. The people seem to be supporting Mohan Majhi’s government. The Congress, despite another change in state leadership, is unable to gain support from the people.
