The Congress has urged voters to support its nominee Satyabhusan Sahu in the Padampur by-poll.
At a Press meet in Paikmal on Saturday, PCC president Sarat Patnaik hit out at the Naveen Patnaik Government for constantly neglecting Padampur and cheating the people on the plea of forming a district.
He said that in the recent Assembly session, the Government clarified that there is no proposal for new district formation. Given this, how far the announcement made by CM Patnaik on turning Padampur to a district is reliable, he asked.
Congress nominee Sahu said the BJD spent crores for arranging election rallies of the CM by bringing people from far-off places, including neighbouring Chhattisgarh. When the Election Commission has set limit for MLA election expenses at Rs 40 lakh, the BJD is spending crores in the Padampur by-election to win it at any cost, he alleged and demanded the intervention of the EC.
Former Minister Ganeswar Behera asked CM Patnaik to bring a list of his developmental programmes for Padampur in 2023 for the 2024 elections and urged people to support Congress in the by-election. Among others, senior leaders Jagannath Patnaik and State Mahila Congress president Bandita Parida spoke.