BHUBANESWAR: The ruling BJD has consolidated its position by establishing a lead of 6324 votes in the by-poll to the Pipili Assembly constituency.
While BJD candidate Rudra Pratap Maharathy has polled 23462 votes, his main rival Ashrit Pattanayak of BJP has got 17138 votes. Congress candidate Biswokeshan Harichandan Mohapatra remains a distant third with 1784 votes.
Ten candidates, including the three serious contenders, are in the fray in the bypoll. The bypoll was necessitated by the death of sitting BJD MLA and former minister Pradeep Maharathy in October, 2020. Counting of votes is being held with elaborate security arrangements and COVID-19 safety protocols.