Bhubaneswar, Nov. 2 -- In an emotional address ahead of the Nuapada bypoll, BJP candidate Jay Dholakia publicly expressed his disappointment with the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), alleging that the party neglected his family during his father's illness and after his passing.

Speaking at a gathering, Dholakia said that when his father, Rajendra (Raju) Dholakia, was critically ill, no one from the BJD enquired about his condition or extended support. "It feels bad that the party leader neither called nor visited when my father was in the hospital. Even during the preparatory meeting for his 'Dashaha' (tenth-day ritual) ceremony, I was not invited," he said.

Dholakia, visibly moved, added that his father had devoted his entire life to the BJD, ye...