Political parties gearing up for Panchayat polls in Odisha

Bhubaneswar, Oct 2: Ahead of the Panchayat polls in Odisha next year, the three major political parties are gearing up to reach out to the people in the state. While the ruling Biju Jata Dal (BJD) launched its ‘Jan Sampark Padayatra’ on Gandhi Jayanti on Sunday to inform the people about its various developmental initiatives, the state unit of Bharatiya Jata Party (BJP) launched its ‘Lajja Satyagraha’ against the state government.

The BJP launched the agitation in all the sub-divisions of the state in order to mobilise public opinion against the state government on deteriorating health, education, transportation and law and order. On the other hand, the state unit of the Congress is preparing to hold the ‘Jan Chet Yatra’ in the second week of October to raise the Mahadi water dispute with Chhattisgarh.

The month-long Jan Sampark Padayatra of the BJD began on Sunday with BJD President and Chief Minister veen Patik giving a call to party workers to highlight how the Centre has been neglecting the state.

“The padayatra has begun well today. The padayatras are to inform the people about government’s welfare programmes and also central government’s neglect, particularly in river Mahadi and Polavaram issues,” Patik said.

The march will be undertaken by the party leaders in every block and panchayat across the state. At least 147 party observers have been appointed to oversee the padayatra, said Tourism Minister Ashok Panda. The BJP launched its Lajja Satyagraha at all sub-divisions across the state targeting the Odisha government.

“The BJD government has completely failed to provide basic facilities to the people. The people are not even safe in the state. Da Majhi, gada malnutrition deaths, and Kandhamal killings show how the government is badly maging the state affairs,” said senior BJP leader Pratap Sarangi. The principal opposition Congress will hold its meeting to filise the date for ‘Jan Chet yatra’ on October 4. “We will hold a meeting on October 4 to decide when the ‘Jan Chet yatra’ will start,” said Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) President Prasad Harichandan. (IANS)