Odisha assembly bypolls: BJD's Rita Sahu wins Bijepur seat by record margin of over 97,000 votes

Ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) candidate Rita Sahu on Thursday emerged victorious in the Bijepur assembly constituency of Odisha, defeating her nearest BJP rival Sanat Kumar Gartia by a record margin of 97,990 votes.

The victory margin is the highest in the history of Odisha assembly elections. The previous highest margin was 94,555, when Biswabhusan Harichandan of the BJP had won from the Bhubaneswar seat in the 2000 state polls.

Bypolls to Bijepur constituency in Bargarh district was necessitated after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had resigned from the seat earlier this year and retained his traditional seat Hinjilicut in Ganjam district.

Patnaik, who is also BJD president, had won two seats -- Bijepur and Hinjilicut in this year's assembly polls.

This was the third time that polls were held for Bijepur seat in 20 months.

Bypolls were first held in this constituency in February 2018 in which Rita Sahu had won. The election was held following the demise of her husband and the then Congress MLA Subal Sahu in August 2017.

Before Rita's victory in 2018 bypolls, BJD had never won from this seat for 15 years.

Bypoll to Bijepur seat was held along with other seats in 17 states and one Union Territory and assembly elections in Maharashtra and Haryana on October 21.