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Nuapada: As the political heat intensifies in Odisha’s Nuapada ahead of the upcoming assembly bypoll, the constituency has transformed into a microcosm of the state’s larger political contest — where welfare politics, caste arithmetic, and emotional appeals are intersecting sharply. What was once a quiet agrarian belt has now become a testing ground for three major forces — the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD), and the Indian National Congress — each trying to capture the pulse of the rural electorate.At the heart of this battle lies a complex matrix of farmers, women, and tribal voters, who together hold the keys to electoral success.The ruling BJP, which had finished fourth in the 2024 assembly polls in Nuapada, is treating this bypoll as a prestige contest. The party’s strategy hinges on reclaiming its rural and tribal vote base through a blend of welfare narratives and local mobilisation.Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s visit to Nuapada before the poll announcement, coupled with project announcements worth Rs 1,100 crore, has set the tone for the BJP’s campaign. Cabinet ministers such as Mukesh Mahaling, Krushna Chandra Patra, and Rabi Naik are supervising the ground operation with daily reviews and micro-level meetings in villages.The BJP’s pitch is clearly identity-driven: leveraging the tribal background of both President Droupadi Murmu and Chief Minister Majhi to emotionally connect with Nuapada’s roughly 95,000 tribal voters. Party cadres are emphasising this as a reflection of BJP’s “commitment to tribal empowerment.”At the same time, the farmers’ issue remains central to the saffron strategy. The government’s input subsidy of Rs 800 per quintal of paddy has earned goodwill among cultivators. Ministers are conducting door-to-door outreach, presenting the scheme as tangible proof of BJP’s pro-farmer governance.Adding a regional dimension, BJP leaders from neighbouring Chhattisgarh are campaigning in border villages, banking on cross-cultural ties and the shared Loria dialect spoken across both states. The “Jonk river connect,” symbolising cultural unity, is being subtly invoked to blur state boundaries and foster political affinity.The Biju Janata Dal, which has long dominated western Odisha politics, is mobilising its formidable organisational machinery to defend its turf. Former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s planned visits and the presence of heavyweights like Pranab Prakash Das, Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak, Sanjay Das Burma, and Jagannath Saraka underline the seriousness of the BJD’s campaign.The party’s strategy is two-pronged: first, to woo disenchanted BJP leaders unhappy with the ruling party’s ticket distribution; and second, to consolidate women voters through targeted outreach via the Mission Shakti network. Candidate Snehangini Chhuria is leading from the front, organising women’s rallies to capitalise on BJD’s long-cultivated image as the architect of women’s empowerment in Odisha.The BJD’s field management shows its old organisational discipline — dedicated camps, coordinated district teams, and a steady push to infiltrate rival support bases. Its rural outreach through motorcycle squads is designed to ensure direct voter contact, particularly in the hinterlands.The emerging narrative in Nuapada reflects a battle for emotive and social connect rather than purely ideological contest. Farmers, women, youth, and tribal identity have become political symbols — each reinterpreted by parties through their welfare schemes and rhetoric.While the BJP is betting on welfare credibility and cultural resonance, the BJD is relying on grassroots structures and Naveen Patnaik’s enduring personal appeal. The ANC, though less prominent, could act as a vote splitter, especially in pockets where local discontent runs high.“As campaigning intensifies, Nuapada offers a revealing look at how local identities, economic concerns, and welfare narratives intertwine in contemporary Odisha politics. Both BJP and BJD are striving to project themselves as the true custodian of the farmer, the woman, and the tribal — the three pillars of the state’s rural society,” says Dr Gouranga Charan Rout, a political analyst.The result will likely hinge on which party’s message resonates most deeply at the intersection of livelihood and identity. In this battlefield, numbers may matter less than trust — and the ability to turn welfare promises into emotional capital may well decide who triumphs in Nuapada, adds Dr Rout.
