BJP’s win in Odisha’s Dhamnagar seat marked former ally BJD’s first bypoll loss since 2009 and is being seen as a setback for CM Naveen Patnaik ahead of next month’s Padampur byelection and the 2024 state elections. BJP’s Suryabanshi Suraj retained the Dhamnagar seat that was last held by his late father Bishnu Charan Sethi by eroding BJD’s vote share further from 45% in 2019 to 43%.