A day after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s hectic election campaign in Sundargarh, Rajgangpur and Biramitrapur, leaders of other political parties have steered up their campaign too.
BJP leaders have targeted Patnaik and Panchayati Raj Minister Kalpataru Das. Former State unit president of the party Jual Oram and senior leader Ashok Sahoo pulled out all stops to highlight the failure of BJD Government in bringing desirable development in Sundargarh district.
Oram, criticising BJD’s effort to allure the voters by roping in cine stars, said health services are in shambles in Sundargarh district and the locality needs doctors, not actors.
Criticising the development slogan of Minister Das, Ashok Sahoo said Konark TV was the symbol of pride of the State. Former Chief Minister Biju Patnaik had appointed Das as its chairman. But in course of time, the unit grew sick and had to be shut down while Das grew rich. “It’s enough to know what development these people can bring when they are at the helm of affairs,” he said.
In his campaign at Rajgangpur, Sahoo condemning the call of Patnaik that Rajgangpur’s development is only possible if BJD forms the council, said in last six months of last council, BJD was enjoying sole power in Rajgangpur Municipality, but the health centre managed by the civic body was shut down. Besides, the people of the party were also involved in the siphoning of `25 lakh in a park construction project, while they received huge kickbacks in issuing no objection certificate (NOC) for establishment of industries in the area. On the other hand, despite the order of the Odisha High Court, an industry situated in ward-14 was not given NOC for expansion for vested interest. After making huge black money in last six months, the outgoing chairman himself is contesting in ward-14 and his wife in another ward with an aim to retain both chairman and vice chairman posts if BJD forms the council, said Sahoo. But the Rajgangpur voters will definitely give a befitting reply to these people in ballot papers, hoped Sahoo.
Congress also intensified its campaign in last three days to allure the voters and targeted the BJD and BJP for underdevelopment in the three civic bodies as earlier the two parties had formed council. In Biramitrapur, a non-Congress council was formed.
George Tirkey led Samata Kranti Dal is expected to be a dark horse in Biramitrpur Municipality, argue political observers. Similarly, in Rajgangpur, BJD may be in trouble for maximum number of dissident candidates and Mangala Kisan-Sarada Nayak rift, political thinkers opine.
So in total, while in Sundargarh and Rajgangpur, a triangular fight is presumed, in Biramitrapur, Samata Kranti Dal is well ahead of the others despite the Chief Minister’s visit.