Bhubaneswar: The BJD president, Naveen Patnaik, on Wednesday sprang a surprise and announced that former minister and prominent woman leader Snehangini Chhuria will be the party’s candidate for the Nuapada Assembly bypoll.

“I wish to declare that Snehangini Chhuria, a strong leader from western Odisha, has served in our BJD ministry in the past and also served in many important portfolios. She always fought for the poor and downtrodden, and women in particular. We have concluded in our party that she will be the candidate from BJD for the by-election in Nuapada,” Patnaik said.

Chhuria, a former minister and two-time MLA from Attabira Assembly segment in neighbouring Baragarh district, was not in the race for the party ticket for the by-poll. The regional party had found itself in a fix after Jay Dholakia, son of the late sitting BJD MLA Rajendra Dholakia and once seen as its probable candidate for the by-poll, joined the BJP and is the saffron party’s candidate for the by-election.

What proved even more embarrassing for the BJD was that Jay skipped ‘Jan Sampark Padayatra’ in Nuapada, organised by the party to showcase him as its potential candidate, leaving senior leaders waiting for hours.

Snehangini Chhuria had lost the 2024 elections from Attabira Assembly constituency. Chhuria was appointed president of the BJD’s women’s wing in September.

Meanwhile, Congress candidate Ghasiram Majhi on Wednesday filed his nomination papers for the Nuapada Assembly by-election. Ghasiram, accompanied by Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das and other senior party leaders, submitted his nomination papers before the Reporting Officer at Nuapada.

Ghasiram had contested the 2024 Assembly election from Nuapada as an Independent after being denied a Congress ticket. He secured 51,000 votes, finishing second, while Congress nominee and then State party president Sarat Pattnaik polled a little over 15,000 votes.