Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Jay Dholakia was leading by over 40,000 votes as counting proceeded for the Nuapada assembly by-election in Odisha on Friday, according to the Election Commission (EC). After 12 rounds of counting, Dholakia had secured 59,366 votes, while his nearest rival, Snehangini Chhuria of the Biju Janata Dal, managed 19,053 votes. The Congress candidate, Ghasi Ram Majhi, was trailing in third place with 17,437 votes.
Jay Dholakia is the son of the late BJD MLA Rajendra Dholakia, whose death necessitated the by-election.
The by-election holds political significance for the ruling BJP as it represents the first electoral contest in the state since the party formed its government last year. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, who visited Nuapada at least six times in the run-up to the by-election, has treated the outcome as a matter of prestige. Similarly, the election is also being viewed as a test of BJD president Naveen Patnaik's influence in state politics.
A total of 26 rounds of counting are scheduled, with the process having commenced at 8 am amid tight security. The by-election recorded a substantial voter turnout of 83.45 per cent.
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