While the BJP is hell-bent on bringing Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh for campaigning for the panchayat elections, the BJD on Wednesday decided to stage a ‘Jal Satyagraha’ and perform ‘Sandhya Alati’ on Thursday, the day Singh is scheduled to campaign in Odisha for BJP candidates, opposing his visit.
Wondering how the BJP is bringing Singh, whose Government is unilaterally constructing barrages upstream the Mahanadi putting Odisha’s interest in jeopardy, BJD spokesperson Sashibhusan Behera told reporters here that his party would hold ‘Jal Satyagraha’ in Cuttack and Sambalpur when Singh would be addressing people at various parts of the State.
“In the morning, our party activists will stage protest near the Mahanadi at Sambalpur, and in the evening we will perform ‘Sandhya Alati’ (evening puja). It will be a peaceful and silent protest,” he said.
According to BJP sources, Raman Singh would campaign in Burda of Balangir district, Kadheikela of Jharsuguda district and Subdega of Sundargarh district on February 9. He would continue with the campaign again on February 11 in Kutara, lathikata and Nuagaon of Sundargarh district.
Besides, he would also cover Bargarh and Nuapada districts during his campaign trail.
Singh is scheduled to visit Sabadega in Sundargarh on Thursday afternoon and Kutra and Nuagaon in Sundargarh on February 11 for campaigning.
Meanwhile, Choudwar-Cuttack BJD MlA and Sundargarh and Talsara poll observer Pravat Ranjan Biswal criticised the BJP for calling Singh to campaign. “The people of Odisha will give a proper reply to this,” Biswal said in Sundargarh.
Reacting to Biswal’s comment, BJP State youth wing president Tankadhar Tirpathi questioned the morality of Biswal, remarking how a chit fund accused would say what is right and wrong.