On 14 November, alongside the assembly elections in Bihar, the by-poll for the Nuapada constituency in Odisha was declared. The first-time contestant from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Jay Dholakia, secured a resounding win over his rivals — Ghasiram Majhi of the Indian National Congress and Snehangini Chhuria from the Biju Janata Dal (BJD).

Jay Dholakia captured 123,757 votes out of the 212,381 votes cast, opening up a commanding margin of more than 83,000 votes. His victory not only reflects the strength of his campaign but also signals a major shift in voter sentiment in Nuapada.
(Other sources report similar figures — for instance, a margin of 83,748 votes and vote totals like 1,23,869 for Dholakia.

The story behind this triumph is deeper than just numbers. The seat had been held by four-time MLA Rajendra Dholakia — Jay’s father — who died in September this year at the age of 69, after a period of illness and struggle. As a senior BJD leader, his illness and eventual passing sparked discontent within his own family about the lack of support from the party. Against that backdrop, Jay’s entry into the BJP came with personal conviction and political narrative.

Jay joined the BJP citing the family’s grievances: there was felt “negligence and lack of support” from the BJD during his father’s illness and afterward. His mother, Kalpana Dholakia, also voiced disappointment, stating that the BJD chief, Naveen Patnaik, and other senior leaders “did not provide adequate support to the family when the late MLA was battling illness and even after his death.” She added that Patnaik “never came to meet them or even called them when they were getting treatment for Rajendra Dholakia, or even after his death.”

When Jay announced his shift, Patnaik responded sharply, accusing the BJP of poaching their candidate — calling Jay’s nomination a “candidate chori” and alleging misuse of state machinery by the BJP to “steal” the BJD’s voter base. Jay hit back in public: “BJD not only ignored my father during his illness, but they also disregarded his legacy after his death. That pain and betrayal made me realise where true respect for workers and leaders lies, in the BJP. I joined the BJP because it values commitment, not convenience.”

Jay Dholakia’s overwhelming win brings into sharp relief the evolving political landscape in Odisha. The BJD’s hold appears to be slipping, the BJP is gathering momentum, and the Congress — despite internal leadership changes — still struggles to make inroads. Observers view this result as a possible indicator of things to come in the state’s political trajectory.