The Odisha Congress has alleged that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s visit to Nuapada ahead of the upcoming by-election is strategically aimed at ensuring the victory of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate. Addressing a press conference at the Congress Bhavan, senior Congress leader and former PCC president Jaydev Jena claimed that the so-called contest in Nuapada may appear three-cornered, but in reality, it is a two-way fight — with the BJD and BJP joining hands against the Congress.
Jena stated that for 24 years, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had “completely forgotten Nuapada,” but has suddenly remembered the district due to the bypoll. “The charm of Naveen Patnaik is gone. The people of Odisha have seen through the BJD’s deceit,” he said.
According to Jena, the real election strategy was decided in New Delhi through an understanding between Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and BJD’s top strategist V.K. Pandian. “It was decided that the BJD would field a non-local candidate to split the anti-BJP vote, while Vaishnaw and Pandian would ensure the BJP candidate’s victory. Naveen’s visit is only a show to convince people that BJD and BJP are not working together,” Jena alleged.
He further said, “On one side are Ashwini Vaishnaw, V.K. Pandian, Naveen Patnaik, Manmohan Samal, and Chief Minister Mohan Majhi; on the other is the Congress, fighting alone but with the strength of the people.”
Jena recalled that even when the BJD-BJP coalition government was in power and Naveen was at his political peak, the Congress had managed to win the Talsara and Laxmipur by-elections. “This time too, Ghasi Ram Majhi will win in Nuapada,” he asserted, adding that while the Congress may lack financial muscle, it has “enormous people power.”
Deal Struck in Delhi, Says Debashish Nayak
Speaking at the same press conference, former minister Debashish Nayak alleged that a deal regarding the Nuapada by-election had already been finalized in New Delhi long ago. “The BJD is only pretending to contest the election. Their campaign is just a performance to secure a respectable vote share,” Nayak said.
In contrast, he added, the Congress has nominated a popular local tribal leader as its candidate and is contesting the election on the issues of social justice and collective development.
Senior Congress spokesperson Manoranjan Dash also attended the press conference.