The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) is going to celebrate its 21st foundation day on December 26 in a big way throughout the State.
The party would observe the day extensively at the panchayat, block and district levels. Besides, the BJD is believed to chalk out a roadmap for the upcoming 2019 elections at the State-level celebration in the State capital.
BJD supremo and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is also scheduled to visit Surat in Gujarat on Monday to attend an Odisha Mahotsav. A majority of about eight lakh Odias in Surat belong to his home district Ganjam.
Some BJD leaders are already camping in Surat to oversee the preparations for the CM’s visit.
However, the opposition parties came down heavily on the BJD by terming the CM’s visit “politically motivated” and another attempt of the party before the 2019 polls to woo voters.
While the BJP said that the Chief Minister would fail in his attempt to win hearts of the Odia community in Surat, the Congress accused the ruling party of being involved in vote bank politics.
“Eyeing the upcoming elections, Naveen Patnaik is now shedding crocodile tears for Surat Odias. The State Government has done nothing for non-resident Odias in the last 19 years. A maximum of people in Surat are from Naveen Patnaik’s home district Ganjam and it proves the State Government’s failure in creating job opportunities,” alleged Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.
“He (Patnaik) never cared for the Odias in Surat and the people there have already made up their mind to oust his Government (while voting in the elections),” Pradhan added.
Congress leader Narasingha Mishra said, “As most of the Odias living in Surat belong to Ganjam district, where Naveen Patnaik’s constituency falls, the CM wants them to vote for him. He forgot them earlier but now suddenly remembered them as elections are round the corner.”
BJD spokesperson Pratap Deb, on the other hand, condemned the allegations levelled by the opposition parties.
“The allegations prove that both the parties BJP and Congress are frightened. I want to remind both Mishra and Pradhan that Ministers from the BJD visit Surat every year since the BJD came to power. Naveen Patnaik loves people of Odisha and has worked for the Odias residing in different parts of the country,” he said.