BJD launches massive party campaign in Orissa

The ruling BJD in Orissa on Monday launched a campaign to connect with all 80 lakh families in the state. The family contact programme, which would continue till February 14, aims at telling people about the alleged neglect of the state by the Centre and highlighting various welfare and developmental measures taken by the BJD government.

The ruling BJD in Orissa on Monday launched a campaign to connect with all 80 lakh families in the state. The family contact programme, which would continue till February 14, aims at telling people about the alleged neglect of the state by the centre and highlighting various welfare and developmental measures taken by the BJD government.

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Chief minister Naveen Patnaik and other senior leaders of BJD are taking active part in the 28-day programme.

Senior BJD leader and MP Pyari Mohan Mohapatra said that party leaders and workers would approach every family in the state and try to know their problems.

"We will also tell people about state government's achievements," he said.

BJD is also initiating a massive membership drive with plans to induct at least one member from each family into the regional party, said another senior leader.

"The basic idea is to transform BJD into a cadre-based political party," he said.

Besides telling people about the alleged step-motherly approach adopted by the UPA government at the Centre against Orissa, BJD workers would corner the Centre on issues like sky-rocketing prices of essential commodities, particularly food items like onion and other vegetables.

Efforts would also be made to counter the opposition attack on issues like Vedanta and the multi-crore mining scam during the campaign, which coincided with an anti-corruption rally addressed by BJP president Nitin Gadkari here.

Plight of farmers due to crop loss caused by unseasonal rains is also being raised by BJD workers as part of their campaign.