PADAMPUR: Setting aside all apprehensions to rest, BJD wrested the Bijepur assembly segment by defeating BJP contender by a margin of 41,933 votes in the bypoll results declared on Wednesday.
While the seat was held by the Congress for the last three terms since 2004, the by-poll was necessitated after sitting Congress MLA Subal Sahu died on August 22.
BJD nominee Ritarani Sahu has secured 1,02,871 votes while BJP candidate Ashok Panigrahi bagged 60,938 votes. On the other hand, Congress candidate Pranaya Sahu was a distant third garnering only 10,274 votes.
Although it had begun as a triangular contest, Congress ran out of steam reportedly in absence of required support from the party to match the BJD and the BJP, making it a direct fight between the BJD and the BJP.
While the BJD launched in the election soon after roping in Ritarani, the widow of the sitting Congress MLA as its nominee, the BJP belatedly fielded beleaguered former BJD MLA Panigrahi and the Congress fielded a new face Pranay.
In fact, BJD nominee Ritarani kept on the lead from Round one till the end of the counting and there was a steady gain for the BJD all through 21 rounds.
For the locals, it was simplicity of Naveen which scored over flamboyance of the BJP leaders. And the hurling of shoes at Naveen and his refusing to comment on the incident proved nemesis for the BJP. It won more hearts for Naveen which translated into votes.
It was Naveen versus the BJP in the by-poll. But Naveen, the man of few words, was triumphant.
More than the outcome, the Bijepur by-poll marked mudslinging, blame game, wild allegations, character assignation and personal attack, never seen in elections before with violence topping the chart.
Not only were the district collector, superintendent of police and SDPO replaced by the Election Commission on the allegations of favouring BJD, even aspersions were cast on the State Election Commissioner.
However, a long arduous road awaits both for the BJD and the BJP to 2019 general election. The BJD will have to fulfill the promises it has made to the electorate of Bijepur to ensure that the people in the state continue to repose its faith on it.
At the same time, the BJP has to rework its strategy and accept the fact that instead of levelling allegations all the time, it has to win hearts of voters to woo them.