Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal’s Nuapada candidate, Snehangini Chhuria, on Friday dismissed Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi’s claim that she is an ‘’outsider’’, saying she belongs to western Odisha and has strong family roots in the district.

Reacting to Majhi’s remarks at a public meeting in Nuapada on Thursday, Chhuria said, ‘’I feel pity over the Chief Minister’s comments. How come I am an outsider? My mother was born under Komna block in Nuapada district, and I was born in Padampur, just 57 km away. Nuapada is my mother’s birthplace, and I have relatives across the district.’’

Majhi had called Chhuria an ‘’outsider’’ and claimed that the BJD imported her from Attabira in Bargarh district. Chhuria, a former minister and two-time MLA from Attabira in neighbouring Bargarh district, countered the Chief Minister’s comments by questioning the origins of the BJP candidate. Nuapada bypoll is scheduled on November 11 and counting will take place November 14.

‘’Let the Chief Minister explain to the people of Nuapada the origin of BJP candidate Dholakia. His family hails from Gujarat’s Surat district and settled in Nuapada for business. Since Jay’s late father Rajendra Dholakia was involved in social service, BJD president Naveen Patnaik helped him in politics, got him elected to Assembly and also made him a Cabinet minister from 2022 to 2024. We in BJD have never considered Rajendra Babu as an outsider,’’ Chhuria said.

‘’The people will decide who is an outsider. I bear the surname Chhuria, which is common in Nuapada. Can the Chief Minister find another Dholakia family in the district?” she asked. She added: ‘’I am an Odia who can identify self with the people of Nuapada. I stand on my soil, drink my water and inhale my air in Nuapada. Those having roots in other States are eyeing to loot my (Nuapada’s) mines, minerals and resources. I will make people aware of the BJP’s plan,’’ she said.

Chhuria, who is also the president of Biju Mahila Janata Dal (BMJD), and a prominent woman leader of the State, alleged that the BJP has made Rajendra Dholakia’s son Jay a candidate. ‘’Jay is a betrayer. This is because he betrayed the trust of the party (BJD) by switching over to BJP before bypolls. He has betrayed the voters of Nuapada as they had elected a BJD candidate (Rajendra Dholakia) in 2024. The people had placed the BJP candidate (in 2024 elections) in third position,’’ Chhuria said.

The by-poll was necessitated following the death of Rajendra Dholakia on September 8. His son Jay, who was tipped to contest the by-election on BJD ticket in place of his father, joined BJP and become a candidate of the saffron party, creating a lot of flutter in Odisha politics.

Jay Dholakia explained that he joined the BJP in order to fulfil dreams of his late father. ‘’I realised that my father’s unfinished development work cannot be complete if I remain in BJD. For the sake of Nuapada’s development, I joined the BJP to ensure that the double-engine government takes up the unfinished work of my father,’’ Jay told reporters.

Congress candidate Ghasiram Majhi also accused Jay Dholakia of being ‘’sold out’’ to BJP for business interests. Asked about some BJD leaders joining the BJP ahead of elections, Chhuria said some more people may switch parties because of family and business ties. ‘’But this will in no way have any impact on our party. The BJD has its roots in every villages of Nuapada and its dedicated workers scattered across the Assembly segment. Naveen Patnaik is a household name in Nuapada.’’

Stating that BJD’s development policies and failure of the current government will be the key issues in the by-poll, Chhuria said she has advantage over others by being the lone woman candidate in the fray.