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Bhubaneswar, Nov 16 (IANS) Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Bhakta Charan Das on Sunday said the Congress will introspect to identify the reasons for the defeat and also take action against those involved in anti-party activities during the recently concluded Nuapada bypoll.
Speaking to media persons, Das said there was a need for introspection in the party to look into the failures in the by-elections and unearth those party members who were involved in anti-party activities during the elections. The OPCC president made it clear that strict action will be taken against all those found indulging in anti-party activities during the elections.
He further claimed that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spent huge money to win the Nuapada by-election and included several ministers and leaders from Odisha and neighboring Chhattisgarh, including the Chief Ministers of both the states.
The OPCC president said, “Despite massive abuse of power and massive distribution of wealth, the people of Nuapada voted for the Congress by more than 40,000 votes and we express our gratitude to them for it. We are completely satisfied that we have achieved something which we had never done before.”
Meanwhile, senior BJP leader and Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan took a dig at the OPCC president, saying, “Those who face defeat usually offer many excuses to hide their mistakes and weaknesses. Instead of indulging in big talk, it would be better for both BJD and Congress to accept that the people have rejected them.”
It is pertinent to mention here that BJP candidate Jai Dholakia secured a total of 1,23,869 votes and defeated Congress candidate Ghasiram Majhi by a margin of 83,748 votes. BJD candidate Snehangini Chhuria stood third with 38408 votes.
The BJP wrested the Nuapada seat from the BJD, taking its tally to 79 in the state assembly of 147 seats.
Notably, Nuapada Assembly seat had fallen vacant after the death of four-time MLA Rajendra Dholakia, father of newly elected BJP MLA Jai Dholakia in September this year.
–IANS
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