Voting peaceful as Nuapada bypoll records 81% turnout

Bhubaneswar: Over 81% of electors cast their votes in the Nuapada byelection on Tuesday, sealing the fate of 14 candidates in the fray. Polling was largely peaceful, though stray incidents of EVM malfunctioning and allegations of rigging by opposition BJD and Congress marked the day, an allegation strongly countered by the ruling BJP.Chief electoral officer (CEO) R S Gopalan said voting remained incident-free even in the eight booths inside the Sunabeda sanctuary, a Left wing extremism-affected area. “Minor glitches were reported but promptly resolved, with one VVPAT replaced in a booth and another booth requiring replacement of a ballot unit, control unit and VVPAT,” he added.The turnout stood at 81.72% at 11 pm, surpassing the 75.44% recorded in the 2024 assembly election.

The final voting percentage may change as data compilation was not final yet, polling officials said.There was a festive buzz at the booths as voters from all walks of life turned up to exercise their franchise with great enthusiasm. Mothers cradling infants stood patiently in queues while differently-abled men and women, besides youths, arrived in groups, eager to make their voices heard.Polling was continuously monitored through CCTV, with district and state headquarters addressing issues in real-time to ensure transparency.

Despite the largely smooth conduct, two presiding officers, Dhananjay Mallik and Sandeep Swain, were suspended for violating voter secrecy.While BJP claimed the impressive turnout reflected people’s faith in the works of the incumbent govt and would be evident in the results, both the Congress and BJD accused the administration of favouring the ruling party. Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhakta Charan Das alleged large-scale rigging, citing instances where voters were denied their right to cast ballots or found their votes switched.

“BJP’s fear of the Congress in the Nuapada byelection is so deep that they resorted to open vote theft,” he alleged.He said BJP workers were seen influencing voters inside booths, while former OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik accused the BJP of “shamelessly stealing democracy”. Former Union minister Srikant Jena said money power on display in Nuapada was unprecedented.BJD senior general secretary Lekhasri Samantasinghar alleged that BJP agents and presiding officers distributed paper slips with coloured pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, chief minister Mohan Majhi, and BJP candidate Jay Dholakia, calling it a clear attempt to influence voters.

She demanded “immediate suspension of the officials involved, scrapping of the election, and fresh polling”. BJD submitted separate memorandums to the CEO alleging denial of voting rights to a woman and casting of her vote by another person before she reached the booth and infiltration of fake voters.State BJP president Manmohan Samal said the impressive turnout reflected the people’s heightened enthusiasm for the state govt, aided by pleasant weather.

Dismissing allegations from political rivals, Samal remarked that BJD and Congress are still struggling to overcome the hangover of having once been in power.Basanta Panda, former state BJP president and a native of Nuapada, said parties that indulged in rigging while in power are now fearing the same as they sit in opposition. “The BJP is different and would never do that,” he asserted. He added that BJD and Congress have reacted similarly because they have already foreseen their defeats. “The govt’s Subhadra scheme for women and the cash subsidy of Rs 800 per quintal for farmers in paddy procurement have endeared the Mohan Majhi-led govt to the people,” he said.Counting of votes of the bypoll, necessitated by the demise of BJD MLA Rajendra Dholakia, will be held on Friday.