Bhubaneswar: Three Independent candidates emerged victorious in the assembly election defeating more illustrious BJD nominees, apparently reflecting anti-incumbency and people’s support for good candidates beyond party lines.
Himanshu Sekhar Sahoo, who defeated BJD’s two-time MLA Pranab Kumar Balabantray from Dharmasala, on Wednesday rejoined BJP. He was expelled from BJP last week after he contested as an Independent following ticket denial.Similarly, Bijaya Kumar Dalabehera and Sarada Prasad Pradhan made a dent in the BJD bastions of Baramba and Mahanga, defeating former minister Debiprasad Mishra and Ankit Jena, respectively.
Himanshu’s remarkable win in Dharmasala by a narrow margin of 4,150 votes was one of the most notable upsets.
In another stunning upset, Bijaya beat Debiprasad by 23,479 votes. Bijaya, who contested on a BJP ticket in 2019, decided to fight as an Independent after he was denied party ticket.
In Mahanga, Sarada’s triumph over Ankit, son of senior BJD member Pratap Jena, also highlighted the electorate’s desire for change. Pradhan gained significant support due to his connection with the electorate and won by a margin of over 7,000 votes.

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