Bhubaneswar: Political temperatures are running high in western Odisha as Nuapada assembly constituency gears up for a high-stakes bypoll that is set to test the strength and strategies of the ruling BJP, the BJD, and the Congress. The bypoll was necessitated by the untimely demise of sitting BJD MLA Rajendra Dholakia, whose passing created a political vacuum in the constituency. The battle for Nuapada is now shaping up as a triangular contest among the BJP, BJD, and Congress—each determined to prove its political mettle in western Odisha. The Congress, which performed relatively better in parts of western Odisha in the last general elections, is also keen to make a comeback by consolidating the anti-incumbency votes. The Nuapada bypoll carries significance far beyond a single assembly seat.