Telangana CM Revanth Reddy to Campaign For Congress in Nuapada Bypoll on Nov 7
According to the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC), Reddy will address a public rally at Salebhata in Nuapada on November 7
Bhubaneswar: Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy will campaign for the Congress candidate Ghasiram Majhi ahead of the high-stakes Nuapada Assembly by-election in Odisha.
According to the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC), Reddy will address a public rally at Salebhata in Nuapada on November 7. The party announced his visit through its official handle on X (formerly Twitter).
The Congress had earlier named Reddy, his deputy Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, and former Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot among its 40 star campaigners for the bypoll, scheduled for November 11.
Meanwhile, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president and Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik will campaign for party nominee Snehangini Chhuria on November 3 (Monday). The five-time former Chief Minister is scheduled to visit Komna block in the Nuapada constituency to interact with local residents.
The BJD, now the principal Opposition party in Odisha, has deployed around 50 senior leaders, including several former ministers, to lead its campaign in the region.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has assigned eight ministers half of the state Cabinet to canvass for its candidate Jay Dholakia. Each minister has been allocated a specific zone within the constituency to oversee campaign efforts.
In addition, Deputy Chief Minister K.V. Singh Deo and senior BJP leader Jaynarayan Mishra have been given overall charge of the party’s campaign. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who has visited Nuapada several times in recent weeks, is also expected to join the campaign trail to seek votes for Dholakia ahead of polling day.
The by-election was necessitated following the death of sitting BJD MLA Rajendra Dholakia on September 8. A four-term legislator, Dholakia first won the seat as an Independent candidate in 2004, and later retained it in 2009, 2019, and 2024 on a BJD ticket. He also served as a minister in the Naveen Patnaik government.
In the 2024 Assembly election, Dholakia had defeated Independent candidate Ghasiram Majhi now contesting as the Congress nominee by a margin of around 11,000 votes. Dholakia polled 61,822 votes, while Majhi secured 50,941.
BJP’s Abhinandan Panda, son of former MP Basanta Panda, finished third with 44,814 votes, while Congress candidate Sarat Patnaik stood fourth with 15,501 votes.