Bhubaneswar: BJD president and chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday exuded confidence that his party would win the February 24 Bijepur bypoll.

Before embarking on a four-day visit to Delhi, Naveen said: "Our development work and several welfare schemes will work for us and the ruling party will win the Bijepur bypoll with a huge margin."

The bypoll has turned into a prestige issue for all the three major political parties as its result is likely to have an impact on the upcoming general election that is likely to be held by the end of this year.

Since 2004, Bijepur is considered as a Congress citadel. Despite all its efforts in the last three elections, the ruling BJD had failed to wrest the Assembly seat from the Congress. After the death of Congress MLA Subal Sahu, the BJD has roped in his family members and fielded his wife Rita Sahu as its candidate. With Rita as its candidate, the BJD is hopeful to win the seat.

Besides, it has already launched a number of welfare projects, including the Rs 1,200-crore Gangadhar Meher irrigation scheme, for Bargarh district.

While the BJP has deputed its leaders, including Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Santosh Gangwar, to campaign for its candidate Ashok Panigrahi, Naveen is yet to hit the campaign trail. He is scheduled to address two meetings in Bijepur prior to poll day. On Wednesday, BJD MLAs campaigned for Rita.

To add glamour to its campaign, the BJP on Wednesday fielded Odia actress Mahasweta Ray in Bijepur. Ray, who has acted in more than 80 films in various languages, joined the BJP on Monday.

Both the BJP and the BJD have already deployed cine stars-turned-politicians in their bid to wrest the Bijepur Assembly seat from the Congress. On the other hand, Congress candidate Pranay Sahu continued with his door-to-door campaign. Senior Congress leaders on Wednesday also joined the campaign. "I am one among them and I will certainly win the election," Pranay said.

The fight for Bijepur is getting more intense with political parties not ready to spare an inch to its rivals. This was evident when a BJP delegation, led by its leader Sajjan Sharma, on Wednesday met the chief electoral officer and alleged that police were helping the BJD at the behest of minister Sushant Singh.

Sharma said: "If the police know that the vehicles belong to the BJD, they are allowed entry with the customary checking. But vehicles belonging to the BJP are being denied entry into Bijepur. This harassment should stop."

The police on Wednesday seized Rs 3.20 lakh from two cars at Bijepur's Giasilot block.