Amid early poll buzz, Naveen Patnaik asks BJD leaders to fine-tune activities

Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik met BJD district observers along with senior party leaders on Monday evening

Updated on: Sep 5, 2023, 20:20:56 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Amid buzz of early polls for Odisha Assembly, chief minister and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik on Monday asked senior leaders of the party to start Assembly constituency-level exercise from September 7 with four assembly constituencies being taken up every day, people familiar with the matter said.

Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik. (File Photo)

Patnaik, who met the party’s district observers along with senior party leaders on Monday evening, is reported to have told the leaders to remain prepared for early election. Senior BJD leader Prasanna Acharya said around 200 cadres in each assembly constituency would be trained to spread the government’s work among people of their respective areas.

“During the meeting, CM stressed on formation of booth committees and contact by MLAs with the voters. The party would also begin its Ghare Ghare Sankha (conch in every house) programme soon. The annual padyatra, which begins from October 2 every year, would be intensified this year,” said Acharya. He added that 14 teams have been prepared, who would train workers in 4 assembly constituencies everyday.

“The chief minister wants us to start organisational exercises so that there will be no difficulty when elections are announced,” said another BJD leader present at the meeting.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), on the other hand, said it will release a 108-point chargesheet against the state government, detailing major corruption in different government schemes and its failure to improve the economic condition, leading to massive migration from the state in search of employment.

“The chargesheet will highlight mining scam, coal scam, housing scam, missing keys of Ranta Bhandar and the government’s reluctance to re-open the Shri Jagannath temple treasure and issues pertaining to unemployment and lack of industrialisation. Local issues will be part of the chargesheet. We would intensify the agitation from panchayat to district level. We will go to people and tell them how this government has cheated them for over 23 years,” said leader of Opposition Jay Narayan Mishra.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather and major national developments.