The Odisha government and the office of the chief electoral officer (CEO) breathed a sigh of relief on Tuesday evening after ballot boxes from eight most sensitive booths of the Nuapada Assembly constituency located deep inside the Maoist-infested Sunabeda Wildlife Sanctuary were safely airlifted and secured in strong rooms at the Nuapada district headquarters.

The by-election, necessitated by the death of incumbent Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA Rajendra Dholakia, witnessed a record voter turnout. According to CEO R.S. Gopalan, polling in the constituency stood at 83.45 per cent, the highest ever recorded in Nuapada.

All ballot boxes, along with 48 polling personnel across the eight booths inside the sanctuary bordering Chhattisgarh — known as a stronghold of Maoist activity — were ferried out in Indian Air Force helicopters under tight security. The Election Commission had been on edge due to the area’s volatile past marked by several Maoist ambushes. A palpable sense of relief spread through the CEO’s office when all helicopters returned safely by Tuesday evening.

Voter enthusiasm remained remarkably high even in these remote and difficult-to-access polling stations, registering an average turnout of 82.32 per cent. In Gatibeda and Gatibeda-II, turnout reached 90.22 per cent and 92.63 per cent respectively, while Soseng, Soseng-II, Deosil, Sunabeda, Sunabeda-II and Jamagon reported between 65.80 per cent and 86.68 per cent.

CEO R.S. Gopalan thanked voters and political parties for ensuring a smooth and peaceful election process. “No untoward incident was reported from any of the Maoist-affected pockets,” he said. Nuapada superintendent of police (SP) Amritpal Singh added: “All polling parties were airlifted safely. Voters turned out fearlessly, without any apprehension.”

The relief follows years of heightened security concerns in the region. In June 2022, three CRPF personnel — including two assistant sub-inspectors — were killed in a Maoist attack in Nuapada, prompting major security reinforcement. Since then, district voluntary forces (DVF), in coordination with the CRPF, have intensified patrolling. In May 2024, a special operation group (SOG) member sustained a bullet injury during a gunfight with Maoists and in July 2025, security forces busted a Maoist camp, seizing explosives. During the 2012 panchayat elections, 18 polling teams had to abandon operations midway due to Maoist threats.

Even as voting concluded peacefully and the fate of 14 candidates was sealed in EVMs, the Biju Janata Dal on Wednesday levelled serious allegations against the ruling BJP, accusing it of “gross misuse of government machinery” and “open violation” of the model code of conduct during the campaign.

Addressing a media conference at Sankha Bhavan, senior BJD leader and chief whip Pramila Mallik, former minister Tukuni Sahu and Biju Chhatra Janata Dal president Ipsita Sahu presented what they called a “comprehensive list” of
irregularities and instances of intimidation. They described these as acts that amounted to “the strangulation of democracy.”

Mallik alleged that during the campaign, “BJP leaders distributed sarees and cash to voters,” adding that the BJD had provided documentary evidence to the Election Commission. She further claimed that the residence of former minister Priti Ranjan Ghadai was raided without a warrant, while an income tax raid was conducted at the home of local BJD leader Manoj Mishra.