CM Mohan Charan Majhi Makes Historic Visit to Maoist-Hit Sunabeda, Launches Aggressive Campaign
In a landmark moment for Odisha politics, Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi became the first sitting CM to set foot in Sunabeda—a region long associated with Maoist activity and administrative neglect.
Majhi began his visit with a spiritual gesture, offering prayers to the local deity Maa Sunadei and seeking divine blessings.
Arriving via helicopter at Gotama airstrip, Majhi led a 10-kilometre roadshow from Nuapada to Khariar Road, flanked by Revenue Minister Suresh Pujari and actor-turned-legislator Akash Dasnayak.
The high-energy campaign was aimed at bolstering support for BJP candidate Jay Dholakia in the upcoming Nuapada by-election.
Majhi didn’t hold back in his political messaging. He criticised the BJD for fielding an outsider—Snehangini Chhuria—from Bargarh, questioning the party’s inability to find a local candidate.
He also launched a scathing attack on former CM Naveen Patnaik, accusing him of political opportunism and hypocrisy over past candidate selections.
Referring to BJD’s labelling of Jay Dholakia as a “betrayer,” Majhi turned the tables, citing instances where BJD allegedly poached leaders from Congress and BJP. “Who is the real betrayer?” he asked, pointing to past episodes in Bijepur and Kakarpur.
Majhi concluded his visit with a night halt in Nuapada, signalling a deep commitment to the region and its electoral significance.
