Finance
Continuing its winning streak in by-elections, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) won by a landslide margin of over 66,225 votes in the Brajrajnagar Assembly by-election.
Party candidate Alaka Mohanty, wife of late BJD MLA Kishore Mohanty, won the seat with a total of 93,790 votes. For the first time since the 2019 General Elections, Congress improved its performance by placing second with 27,565 votes. In the bye-election, the opposition BJP received a total of 22,316 votes.
While votes were counted in 20 rounds, the ruling BJD maintained its lead from the first round.
A total of 14 tables were set up for the vote counting at Jharsuguda Engineering College, with 60 officials assigned to each table. To avoid any untoward incidents during the vote counting, elaborate security arrangements were put in place.
“I am very grateful to CM Naveen Patnaik for having faith on me and giving me ticket for the by-poll. I also want to thank party workers who worked really hard with me in scorching hit for the by-poll. Besides, I am thankful to the people of Brajrajnagar for their support. I will work really hard for overall development of the constituency,” said Alaka Mohanty after the poll results.
The by-election was called after the untimely death of BJD’s Kishore Mohanty in December of last year.
The Assembly constituency is considered a stronghold for all three parties–the BJD, the BJP, and the Congress. The seat was held by the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Congress until 2009, when it was won by the BJP. The seat was won by the ruling BJD in the 2019 General Elections.
