BHUBANESWAR: The Biju Janata Dal-Bharatiya Janata Party ruling alliance in the State is likely to have a tough time in the winter session of the Assembly which begins on Monday with the Congress readying to take on the Government following its victory in the Talsara bypoll.

The Congress is expected to corner the ruling alliance on two major issues _ "deteriorating" law and order situation and non-utilisation of a huge chunk of Central Plan fund by the alliance Government.

Spurt in activities of the Maoists in different parts of the State and the recent stampede in the temple of Lord Jagannath in Puri were also likely to dominate the Assembly proceedings.

The Congress has been able to regain its confidence after its candidate Prafulla Majhi defeated the BJP nominee in the byelection in Sundargarh district.

The bypoll, which was necessitated by the death of the Congress legislator Gajadhar Majhi, was held on October 30.

A number of senior leaders belonging to the BJD and the BJP, including Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, had extensively campaigned in Talsara in their attempt to the wrest the seat from Congress ahead of the panchayat elections.

The alliance Government may be successful in facing the Congress attack in the House as the Opposition parties were lacking in coordination.

"A divided Opposition will certainly help Naveen Patnaik Government in handling the Opposition onslaught in the Assembly," said a leader belonging to a non-Congress Opposition party.

However, a senior Congress leader observed that the defeat of the alliance in the Talsara bypoll had come as a morale booster for the Congress and the party legislators would leave no stone unturned to push the Government to the wall on various issues concerning the people.

It is for the first that the Congress has been able to win a byelection since the Naveen Patnaik-led alliance assumed office in March 2000.

In its first term of four years, the BJD-BJP alliance had been able to emerge victorious in all the four byelections. Whatever the political equations, Talsara outcome will surely have its effect on the winter session.

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