With the Urban Body Elections all set to witness a bitter fight between the ruling BJD and the opposition parties, especially Congress and BJP, the Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik is scheduled to start his whirlwind campaign in the State from Thursday.
Patnaik would continue the campaign till September 16 through a helicopter. He would inaugurate his party’s poll campaign from Hinjili NAC, which happens to be his home constituency, amidst a host of Ministers and leaders. The elaborate poll campaign programme was finalized by the Chief Minister at a meeting with senior leaders of the party at Naveen Nivas on Wednesday.
Elections are being held for 21 wards in Hinjili NAC and an estimated 19,178 voters would exercise their franchise in the polls. As per the schedule, the Chief Minister would cover Balugaon and Banpur NACs during the day after the Hinjili meeting. As per the campaign plan, as many as 40 leaders including some Ministers, would take part in the electioneering in 66 UlBs the voting for which is scheduled to be held on September 19.
The BJD had also given the list of the campaigners to the State Election Commission (SEC). The opposition political parties are also not far behind. The BJP also prepared a list of 40 senior leaders to undertake campaign for the candidates in collaboration with the local leaders. The party has also given a list of 40 leaders as part of the poll campaign.
“BJP would not employ the services of any national leaders during the UlB poll as all leaders of the State unit are star campaigners,” said State BJP president KV Singh Deo. However, Congress is planning to rope in some senior national leaders including Union Ministers like Srikant Jena, Sachin Pailot, Jyotiraditya Scindhia, Jayaram Ramesh and Telgu Film star and Union Tourism Minister Chiranjeev to campaign for the party. PCC Chief Jayadev Jena is scheduled to start poll campaign form September 16, Congress sources said.