Bhubaneswar: Snehangini Chhuria, the Biju Janata Dal’s candidate for Nuapada, rejected Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s assertion that she is an ‘outsider’. She emphasized her deep family ties to western Odisha, particularly Nuapada, where her mother was born. In response to Majhi’s remarks at a public meeting, Chhuria stated, ‘I feel pity over the Chief Minister’s comments. How can I be considered an outsider? My mother was born in Komna block, and I was born in Padampur, just 57 km away. Nuapada is my mother’s birthplace, and I have relatives throughout the district.’ Majhi had labeled her an ‘outsider’, claiming that she was brought in from Attabira in Bargarh district.
Chhuria, a former minister and two-term MLA from Attabira, challenged Majhi’s statements by questioning the background of the BJP candidate. With the Nuapada bypoll set for November 11 and counting on November 14, she urged Majhi to clarify the origins of BJP candidate Dholakia, whose family she noted hails from Gujarat’s Surat district and settled in Nuapada for business reasons. She added, ‘The late Rajendra Dholakia was involved in social service, and BJD president Naveen Patnaik supported his political career, leading to his election to the Assembly and his role as a Cabinet minister from 2022 to 2024.
We in BJD have never viewed Rajendra Babu as an outsider.’ Chhuria insisted that the people will determine who the true outsider is, stating, ‘I carry the surname Chhuria, common in Nuapada. Can the Chief Minister identify another Dholakia family in this district?’ She affirmed her identity as an Odia connected to the local populace, expressing her commitment to protect Nuapada’s resources from external interests. ‘I will educate the people about the BJP’s intentions,’ she declared. As president of the Biju Mahila Janata Dal (BMJD), Chhuria criticized the BJP’s choice of Jay Dholakia as their candidate, labeling him a ‘betrayer’ for abandoning the BJD before the bypolls.
She pointed out that voters had previously elected a BJD candidate, Rajendra Dholakia, in 2024, where the BJP candidate finished third. The by-election was called due to Rajendra Dholakia’s death on September 8. His son Jay, initially expected to run for the BJD, joined the BJP, stirring political controversy in Odisha. Jay Dholakia defended his decision, claiming he joined the BJP to advance his late father’s development agenda, stating, ‘I realized that my father’s unfinished work could not be completed if I remained in BJD. I joined the BJP to ensure the double-engine government continues my father’s legacy.’ Congress candidate Ghasiram Majhi accused Jay of being ‘sold out’ to the BJP for personal gain.
When asked about other BJD leaders switching to the BJP, Chhuria acknowledged that familial and business connections might lead to further party changes, but asserted that such moves would not affect the BJD’s strength, as it is deeply rooted in every village of Nuapada, with dedicated workers across the constituency. She emphasized that the BJD’s development policies and the current government’s shortcomings will be pivotal issues in the upcoming bypoll, positioning herself advantageously as the only woman candidate in the race.