Bhubaneswar: The All India Congress Committee (AICC) on Friday approved a list of 40 star campaigners for the upcoming 71-Nuapada Assembly Constituency by-election in Odisha. The announcement was made by Bhakta Charan Das, President of the Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC), through an official press release issued on Friday.
The list features several prominent national and state-level leaders, including Bhupesh Baghel, Sachin Pilot, Kanhaiya Kumar, A. Revanth Reddy, Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka, and Shahnawaz Choudhary, alongside key Odisha leaders such as Niranjan Patnaik, Saptagiri Ulaka, Jaydev Jena, Sarat Pattnayak, and Tara Prasad Bahinipati.
OPCC President Bhakta Charan Das himself is among the listed campaigners. The inclusion of influential figures from both the national and state units signals the party’s strong focus on the Nuapada by-poll, which holds strategic importance for Congress in western Odisha.
Other notable names include Dr. Giridhar Gomang, Tamradhwaj Sahu, Santosh Singh Saluja, Alka Lamba, Minakshi Bahinipati, Sasmita Behera, and Amita Biswal, reflecting a diverse mix of senior leaders, youth representatives, and women campaigners.
Notably, a by-election is being held in Nuapada following the death of Rajendra Dholakia. Voting for the by-election is scheduled for November 11. The Congress party has fielded Ghasiram Majhi as its candidate. In the 2024 general election, Ghasiram Majhi contested as an independent candidate. Although he was a contender for the Congress ticket, the then PCC president, Sarat Pattnayak, was chosen as the party’s candidate. Dissatisfied with this decision, Ghasiram contested independently and faced a tough competition against BJD candidate Rajendra Dholakia. The Congress candidate and then PCC president, Sarat Pattnayak, secured only 15,000 votes, finishing in fourth place.
The Congress campaign is expected to centre around local development, farmers’ issues, and tribal welfare, with party strategists aiming to consolidate grassroots support in the Nuapada region ahead of the polls.
