With the panchayat elections getting nearer, campaigning has gained fast momentum in Sambalpur district. The ruling BJD looks ahead of rival parties so far as wooing the voters is concerned as a number of cine stars have been roped in for the purpose.
MP and cine star Anubhav Mohanty has addressed voters in different places and urged them to vote for the BJD candidates. Mohanty is also seen narrating the success of the BJD Government and the leadership acumen of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, in particular, whose only aim, he says, is for development of the State.
"You all have seen the rule of last 50 years before 2000. And you also see the rule of the last 17 years. Just compare and see the difference," said Mohanty to the people who he met in the meeting and the road show.
It is also another fact that a vast crowd is seen wherever Mohanty goes since he has got double attraction. While the first one is as a cine celebrity of the most popular order, the other one is as a Parliament Member. And the BJD in the district is hopeful of a win in different posts for its developmental activities undertaken in its tenure.
Mohanty is accompanied by the local MlAs of the respective areas and so far has visited different blocks of the district where he has got tremendous public support.
In Dhankauda Block, close to Sambalpur town, Mohanty was seen with Sambalpur MlA Dr Raseswari Panigrahi, BJD district president Dr Pramod Rath and all other senior leaders of the party. As ruling party in the State, the BJD is making all out efforts to win seats in the district in spite of internal conflicts that are also visible here clearly.
In the BJP camp, all the heavyweights are in the campaign race to attract voters. It is another fact that the popularity of BJP is growing day by day in the rural belts even after the demonetization.
The presence of BJP State president Basant Panda is encouraging the party workers and also attracting voters. But at the same time, the presence of some local leaders who were in power for decades and did nothing substantial is not going down well with the masses.
The Congress is also trying its best to revive its position. At one point of time, Sambalpur was the fort of the party. But it is just a history now. The party is only depending on its traditional voters to win the election as of now.