NUAPADA: The induction of four-time MLA and former minister Rajendra Dholakia’s son Jay Dholakia into the BJP on Saturday has redrawn political equations in Nuapada, which will go to polls on November 11.
By parting ways with BJD, the party which his late father had represented for over 15 years, Jay has forced the camps of both the BJP and its main opposition to rethink their strategies before the all-important Nuapada by-election necessitated by the death of Rajendra in September this year.
The speculation over Jay’s decision to switch sides intensified since Saturday morning. Anticipating his switch, a faction of his supporters from the BJD took out a rally from Daga Chowk in Khariar Road, raising slogans in his support. The group of nearly 500 workers marched to Sahu Samaj where another section of the BJD was holding a meeting.
A heated face-off ensued after Jay’s loyalists, led by local leaders Manmit Singh and Bunty Daga, declared their unconditional backing for him, irrespective of party lines. The incident laid bare cracks within the district unit of the BJD, once considered a united stronghold under Rajendra.
In the BJP camp, Jay’s formal induction into the party sparked discontent among a section of cadre members. While over 400 workers had gathered at the BJP office in Nuapada to witness the development, many expressed resentment soon after the announcement, particularly supporters of senior leader Basanta Panda and his son Abhinandan, who was widely seen as a frontrunner for the party ticket before Jay’s sudden entry altered the equation.
A section of party workers reportedly threatened mass resignation, tagging Jay as an outsider and terming his induction as a blow to long-serving BJP members. “This is a disregard to the commitment of grassroots workers and their sentiments. Those who have toiled for decades are being sidelined for someone who was not even a member until now,” said a BJP worker.
Expressing support for Abhinandan, he said, “If the deserving candidate is not given party ticket, we will be forced to withdraw our support from the party.”
However, Abhinandan downplayed the reports of infighting. “There is no internal bickering. It is only a temporary unrest. Whoever the candidate may be, we will extend full support to ensure the party’s victory in Nuapada by-election,” he told reporters.
Though Jay’s candidature is yet to be officially declared, his induction has set off intense speculation about the BJP’s strategy in a constituency that has long been a BJD stronghold. As both camps grapple with internal divisions, Nuapada braces for a by-election that is fast turning into a contest shaped by legacy and loyalty.
