8 byelections, BJD pockets 5

BHUBANESWAR: The victory in Umerkote by-poll is the fifth for the BJD since 2000 when it came to power in the State. Its coalition partner, the BJP, has also won a by-poll in April, 2005 from the Sundargarh Assembly constituency. Eight by-elections have been held in Odisha in the last 11 years. In the first by-poll in September 2001 after the BJD-BJP alliance came to power in the State, BJD candidate Sanatan Bisi defeated his nearest Congress rival Ashok Kumar Beriha from the Rairakhol Assembly constituency.   The second by-election from the Bhadrak Assembly constituency also went in favour of the BJD in May, 2002. BJD candidate Prafulla Samal defeated his nearest rival Naren Kumar Palei of the Congress. Results of the by-polls to Nayagarh and Birmaharajpur Assembly constituencies held in July, 2002 and September, 2003 respectively also went in favour of the BJD. Mandakini Behera, widow of Bhagabat Behera, won from the Nayagarh constituency defeating his Congress rival Sitakant Mishra.  BJD candidate SK Sahu won the by-election to Birmaharajpur constituency by defeating Independent candidate Pushpanjali Pradhan. AK Purohit of Congress was pushed to the third position. By-poll from Sundargarh constituency in April, 2005 went to the then alliance partner BJP. BJP retained the seat as its candidate Sushma Patel defeated former minister Kishore Chandra Patel. Congress, however, retained the Talsara and Lakshmipur assembly seats in by-elections held in October, 2006 and 2007 respectively. Prafulla Majhi of the Congress defeated Sahadev Xaxa of the BJP from Talsara while Purnachandra Majhi of Congress defeated Bibhisan Majhi in Lakshmipur.  By-poll to the Umerkote constituency was the first in the third term of Naveen Patnaik regime. Cong Takes Solace in Number Bhubaneswar: The Congress took solace from the fact that it polled nearly 8,000 votes more than what it had secured in the 2009 Assembly elections from the constituency. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik thanked the people of Umerkote and reiterated that he will work for the development of SC/ST members and women with renewed vigour.