9 Chhattisgarh leaders named in BJP’s star campaigners’ list for Nuapada bypoll

Bhubaneswar: Nine senior leaders from Chhattisgarh — including chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai and Deputy CM Arun Sao — feature in the BJP’s 40-member star campaigners’ list for the Nuapada assembly bypoll, scheduled for Nov 11.Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi also figures in the list, alongside Union ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Jual Oram and Ashwini Vaishnaw.With Nuapada district sharing borders with Mahasamund and Gariaband in Chhattisgarh — and a sizeable population speaking Chhattisgarhi — the BJP has strategically roped in leaders from the neighbouring state to tap into the cultural psyche.Among the Chhattisgarh leaders in the list are Mahasamund MP Rupkumari Choudhary, Mahasamund MLA Yoheshwar Raju Sinha and Rajim MLA Rohit Sahu from Gariaband district. Also named are Kondagaon MLA Lata Usendi, who is BJP’s Odisha co-in-charge, Raipur MP Brijmohan Agrawal and MLAs Guru Khushwant Saheb and Anuj Sharma, the latter also known for his work in films.BJP has also named party’s Odisha in-charge Vijay Pal Singh Tomar, national general secretary Sunil Bansal, state BJP president Manmohan Samal, deputy chief ministers Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and Pravati Parida, ministers Suresh Pujari and Rabi Naik, and MPs Sambit Patra and Pratap Chandra Sarangi among its star campaigners.With Nuapada being the first bypoll since the BJP formed its govt in Odisha, the party is pulling out all stops to secure a win. By fielding Jay Dholakia — son of late BJD MLA Rajendra Dholakia — the BJP is banking on a sympathy wave and the goodwill his family commands in the region. CM Majhi has already visited Nuapada thrice since Dholakia’s passing, underscoring the party’s focus on the seat. The CM announced a Rs 1,100 crore package ahead of the poll and has been asserting his personal supervision for Nuapada’s development.While the outcome won’t significantly alter BJP’s legislative strength — the party has 78 MLAs in the 147-member Vidhan Sabha — a win in this BJD-held constituency would carry symbolic heft, signalling a shift in political momentum and help the BJP consolidate its hold in western Odisha.