Nuapada bypoll: 65.20% voter turnout till 3 pm
BHUBANESWAR [Maha Media]: Voting for the Nuapada Assembly by-election that began at 7 AM on Monday across 358 polling booths, recorded 65.20% turnout till 3 PM. Polling is on peacefully, officials said.
The bypoll was necessitated by the demise of sitting Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA and four-time legislator Rajendra Dholakia on September 8, 2025. A total of 2,53,624 voters will be exercising their franchise to seal the fate of 14 candidates contesting the seat.
Voting will continue till 5 PM in most polling booths, while in 47 remote and Maoist-affected booths, polling will conclude an hour earlier, at 4 PM, to ensure safe movement of election staff before dusk.
The by-election has turned out to be a triangular contest among Jay Dholakia of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Snehangini Chhuria of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), and Ghasiram Majhi of the Indian National Congress (INC).
BJP candidate Jay Dholakia, along with his mother Kalpana Dholakia, casts his vote at a polling station in Mongarapali Government High School at Khariar Road.
Voting across the constituency, including sensitive and Sakhi booths, is proceeding smoothly and peacefully, said CEO sources.
So far, polling has remained largely peaceful, though a few technical glitches were reported in some Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs). Faulty EVMs and ballot units were promptly replaced at Booth Nos. 76 and 66 after brief interruptions. One VVPAT has been replaced from booth no 298 while 1 BU, 1 CU and 1 VVPAT have been replaced from booth no 80.
The Presiding Officer of Booth No 46 has also been suspended for violation of secrecy. Earlier the CEO ordered the suspension of Dhananjay Malik, the presiding officer of Booth No. 36 at Kuliyabandh High School, after CCTV footage showed him violating polling norms. A probe has been initiated against him.
The polling process is being continuously monitored through CCTV, and issues are being addressed promptly from both the District and State Headquarters to ensure a free, fair, and transparent by-election in Nuapada.
The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Odisha, R.S. Gopalan, confirmed that three EVMs and three ballot units had malfunctioned earlier in the day but swiftly replaced. Voting resumed without disruption, he said.
Fourteen companies of central armed police forces have been deployed across the constituency, working alongside the state police. In the 47 sensitive and eight highly sensitive booths, additional armed personnel have been stationed, Office of the CEO, Odisha stated.
Earlier mock polls were successfully completed at all 358 polling stations across the Nuapada Assembly Constituency.
The counting of votes will be held on November 14, 2025, at the district headquarters under a three-tier security arrangement.
