The crushing defeat suffered by the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in the Nuapada by-election has triggered intense introspection within the party, with senior leaders openly calling for a top-level review. Veteran leader Prafulla Samal stated that the setback demands a thorough assessment by none other than the party supremo, Naveen Patnaik.
Samal noted that the party had been confident of performing well in Nuapada. "Naveen Babu’s popularity has not declined. So, why did the party lose? This must be examined honestly," said Samal, adding that the defeat should be treated not as a routine rise-and-fall but as a moment for genuine reflection. “There are ups and downs in everyone’s life. We are very hopeful of performing well in Nuapada because we won the seat four times with a very good margin of votes. I will request all the party workers not to get disappointed with the result. We will make a strong comeback," said Samal.
He continued: "There are several instances where a CM faced defeat in a by-election. Naveen Babu’s popularity has remained intact. I request Naveen Babu to review why we faced a defeat despite such popularity and take necessary measures so it does not happen in the future," he added.
Echoing similar concerns, BJD leader Subash Chandra Singh said the by-election has taught the party a "big lesson." He stressed that the organisation is already analysing what went wrong. "We must identify where the gap occurred between people’s trust and the party’s performance," he said.
"Win and defeat are a democratic process. It can never be predicted. The result has taught a lesson. We are evaluating why we faced a defeat," Singh concluded.
The Nuapada result, which relegated the BJD to a distant third place, is considered one of the most decisive setbacks for the party in recent times. It has sparked renewed debate on the party’s organisational preparedness, voter outreach strategy, and its future in Odisha politics.
Also read: BJP's Jay Dholakia leads in Nuapada bypoll in Odisha
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