Bhubaneswar: Jay Dholakia, son of former Odisha minister Rajendra Dholakia and a leader of Gujarati origin, has won the Nuapada Assembly by-election with a massive margin, delivering a significant victory to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Dholakia (32), whose family traces its roots to Gujarat, secured 1,23,869 votes, defeating Congress candidate Ghasi Ram Majhi by 83,748 votes. BJD’s Snehangini Chhuria, once a strong contender in the region, finished a distant third with 38,408 votes.

The bypoll was necessitated following the death of Jay’s father, Rajendra Dholakia, a four-time MLA from Nuapada and former BJD minister who passed away in September 2025. Jay Dholakia joined the BJP in October, weeks after his father’s demise, marking a major setback for the BJD and shifting political equations in western Odisha.

Dholakia’s victory has also given a major boost to Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s government, which ended the BJD’s 24-year rule last year. Voter turnout touched a record 83.45%, the highest among the eight bypolls held across the country, and well above the 75.44% turnout in the 2024 Assembly elections.

Jay’s win also marks a significant setback for BJD chief and former chief minister Naveen Patnaik. With his party pushed to third place in a seat it held for years, analysts say the loss raises doubts about Patnaik’s influence as Leader of Opposition and may intensify internal dissent within the party. DeshGujarat