Nuapada: The BJP, BJD and Congress are trying to woo the tribal voters in the Nuapada Assembly byelection, as they constitute more than 33 per cent of the total electorate of the constituency.
The Congress has fielded Ghasiram Majhi, a local tribal man from Nuapada, while the BJD candidate Snehangini Chhuria hails from the SC community. The BJP nominee Dholakia is from the general category.
In the 2024 Assembly elections, BJD candidate Rajendra Dholakia had won the seat, defeating Ghasiram Majhi, who had contested as an Independent after he was denied a ticket by the Congress. The BJP candidate had finished third.
Keeping in view the key role of tribals in Nuapada, all the parties have prepared separate strategies to woo the tribals, who constitute 33.80 per cent of the 2.53 lakh electorate.
Targeting the tribal voters, the BJD held a Tribal Convention at Adivasi Samaj Bhawan, Tanuat, Nuapada, on Thursday.
“A large number of tribal leaders and tribal community members participated in our convention and openly expressed their support for the BJD candidate,” BJD senior vice president Debi Prasad Mishra said.
He claimed that it was Naveen Patnaik who always prioritised education, health, livelihood, and social justice for the tribal population.