The already high-pitched Bijepur bypoll took an ugly turn on with slippers being hurled at Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday evening.

The CM was the star campaigner for a bypoll scheduled on February 24 that has consumed the state and its political parties. The attack on the CM, who was to spend the night in the western Odisha district, took place at the third of his rallies at Kumbhari in Barpalli.

The first slipper hit one of his personal security officers standing right behind him who quickly warded off the second slipper The attack is being attributed to a supporter of the BJP, Karthik Meher. The man who was roughed up later refused to disclose his “inspiration” until he has eaten “bhat” or rice. BJP has denied that the man had anything to do with them.

The assembly bypolls for which half of ruling BJD’s MLAs and MPs have been campaigning since the beginning of February is being fought tooth and nail by both parties. It is a seat that the Indian National Congress had won thrice, in a western Odisha district that BJP did extremely well in during the last panchayat polls, and one that Patnaik’s BJD, in its fourth term, cannot afford to lose..