Jharsuguda: The Jharsuguda bypoll is fast approaching, and the three major political parties, namely BJD, BJP, and Congress, are vigorously campaigning to secure the votes of the 71,113 voters in 24 wards of Jharsuguda Municipality. However, the current changing political climate has made the BJD worried, especially as anti-BJD sentiment is spreading throughout many wards of the city. This has left the party in a quandary about whether it can rely on the votes it received in the last assembly election from Jharsuguda municipality.
Urban voters constitute about 30% of the Jharsuguda constituency’s total of 2,21,031 voters. According to data from the last Assembly elections, these urban voters were the main reason for the victory of former minister Naba Das. However, the change in BJP, BJD, and Congress votes during the last municipal election may play a decisive role in the current election.
During the last general elections, the BJD secured approximately 10,000 more votes than its nearest rival, the BJP, in the Jharsuguda municipal area. At that time, 27,129 votes were cast in favour of the BJD, while 16,081 votes were cast for the BJP. However, by the time of the last municipal elections, the situation had changed. Although the BJP won only three wards, the remaining 21 wards went to the BJD’s account. In those 21 wards, there was a tough fight between the BJP and BJD, with the BJD receiving a total of 26,729 votes, while the BJP increased its number of votes to 20,567. In contrast, the Congress lost its existence during the municipal elections compared to the general elections.
The BJP’s growing public opinion in urban areas has worried the BJD, particularly after the death of Naba Das, which led almost all business voters in the city to openly ask to vote against the BJD. While the BJD’s influence continues in the suburbs, the situation in the city is somewhat different. Wards No. 3, 19, and 13, where the BJP had extraordinary success in the municipal elections, are now a headache for the BJD. Therefore, both the BJD and the other parties are working hard to influence voters in these wards and secure a victory in the upcoming bypoll.
