The Utkal Bharat has been campaigning for its supported Independent candidate Kuberjal Yadav, who is in the fray for the February 24 Bijepur by-election, for the last 11 days.
A party release claimed that party president Kharavel Swain and other State-level leaders moved from village to village in two vehicles fitted with mikes and held meetings on roadsides in Bijepur, Gaisilet and Barpali blocks. large numbers of people gathered at these meetings.
The party has raised issues like how the two candidates fielded by the BJD and the BJP have come from other parties, irregularities in employment, labour migration, tardy industrialisation and corruption in administration as poll planks.
They also told villagers how Telugu people, who had come 30/40 years ago for pulling rickshaws, have now settled, become Sarapanches and Zilla Parishad Members. Party leaders said Kuberjal would attract a high percentage of Yadav votes as he belongs to the community.