Bhubaneswar, Oct. 13: The high-pitch campaign for Wednesday’s bypoll to the Kandhamal Lok Sabha seat ended this afternoon.

In the tribal-dominated parliamentary constituency, chief minister Naveen Patnaik and a dozen of his ministerial colleagues led the electioneering.

The Kandhamal seat fell vacant following the death of BJD MP Hemendra Chandra Singh. The party has fielded his widow Pratyusha Rajeswari Singh to cash in on the sympathy factor.

The Congress and the BJP, too, are making their best efforts to snatch the seat from the BJD. Congress leader B.K. Hariprasad, along with Pradesh Congress Committee president Jaydev Jena and former Union minister Srikant Jena, campaigned for their candidate Abhimanyu Behera.

BJP’s campaign was led by Union ministers Jual Oram and Dharmendra Pradhan. It was co-ordinated by party veteran Bijoy Mohapatra. Both the BJD and the BJP roped in filmstars to add colour to their campaign.

Though the campaign was affected for the last couple of days due to cyclone Hudhud, the ruling BJD is confident of winning the seat.

“Of course, the inclement weather has impacted the poll campaign, but we are sure to win,” said BJD spokeman Pratap Keshari Deb.

State Congress president Jaydev Jena alleged that defying the Election Commission’s directives, several ministers and ruling party leaders were camping in Kandhamal. “The officials have turned a blind eye,” he said.

Jena, however, asserted that the party would give a good fight to the BJD.

BJP, which came third in May elections, was also optimistic.

“People want a change and their inclination towards BJP is visible,” said party’s campaign committee chairman Bijoy Mohapatra.