The Kaling Sena, a political party fighting for formation of a larger Kalinga State, a Kaling Regiment in the Indian Defence Services and to keep the Kalinga tradition intact, on Sunday announced to step up agitation against various failures of the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD Government.
A meeting was held under the chairmanship of Kalinga Sena chief Hemant Rath at the Sena Bhawan here at Ashok Nagar with the party’s office-bearers, including district and block presidents attending it.
Rath declared that the Sena would field candidates in all the 147 Assembly and 21 lok Sabha constituencies. He claimed that his party would at least 17 Assembly seats. The Sena would hold the key to formation of the next Government, he claimed. He said the Sena would give topmost priority for women and youths.
He claimed that Congress would be divided in the State before the elections while the internal fight in the BJP’s central leadership would reduce the party’s seats in the State from the present six. People have started turning their attention from the BJD and reposing faith in the Kalinga Sena, he further claimed.
“Sena stood fourth in the last elections, and this time we will improve our tally,” Rath said, addressing a Press meet.At the Sena’s seventh foundation say function to be held on November 7, the party would declare Rath as its Chief Minister candidate, said Sena sources.
New office-bearers have been elected and their names were declared after organisational polls. Rath was reelected as the party supremo while Pravat Das as the campaign committee chief. JP Mohanty, Pravakar Nayak, Baikuntha Dhangda, S Mallick and Col B Jhata Singh were elected as vice-presidents and Dr Bairagi C Patnaik was selected as secretary general.
Jagat Mohan Mohanty elected as media cell chief and Santosh Nayak as secretray, agitation cell chief went to Bijayraj, B Jena will be vice-president, G Pradhan elected as general secretray, S Mohapatra, Hemanta Patnaik, all GS, secretaries were Amiya Mishra, BC Behera and SR Patnaik.