Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik has asked party people to pull out all stops to make sure that the party does not lose even one of the nine urban local bodies (UlBs) in the elections to be held on April 7. At a meeting with party leaders here on Friday, Patnaik assigned nine senior leaders, including seven Ministers, the charge of looking after the campaign in the four new and five existing municipal bodies.
While Transport Minister Ramesh Majhi would supervise the Balimela campaign, Energy Minister Pranab Prakash Das would take charge of the campaign for the Sunabeda Municipality. Higher Education Minister Pradeep Panigarhi has been tasked with the Tushara NAC, Health Minister Atanu Sabyascahi Nayak with the Belpahar Municipality, Rural Development Minister Badri Narayan Patra with Dharamgarh, School and Mass Education Minister Debi Prasad Mishra with Daspalla Municipality and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Bikram Arukh with Ranpur.
Besides, Cuttack-Barabati BJD MlA Debasis Samantray has been asked to supervise poll preparation for the Paradip Municipality and Planning Board Deputy Chairman N Bhaskar Rao has been deployed for the Rairakhol UlB. Besides, they have been asked to decide on the candidates and work out a strategy to avoid infighting.