The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti on Thursday started its State-wide padyatra from the capital city to reach out to the people.
BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik kicked off the mass contact drive in the name of ‘Jan Sampark Padyatra’ at Raghunath Nagar in the city.
Patnaik addressed a public meeting and thanked the people of the State for making his party a strong regional outfit of the country. He said his party would work continuously for betterment of the people of the State. Tourism and Culture Minister Ashok Panda, Bhubaneswar MP Prasanna Patasani, local MlAs and other BJD leaders attended the function.
The BJD padyatra would have culminated on October 11 marking the birth anniversary of Jayprakash Narayan, but its duration would be extended for a few days more due to the Dusshera festival, party sources said. The aim of the programme is to make people aware about the achievements of the BJD Govt during the past 14 years, said the CM.