BHUBANESWAR: Even as by-election to Bijepur Assembly seat is barely 10 days away, campaigning by three major political parties, BJD, BJP and Congress has remained a low key affair.Dozens of leaders of the three parties camping at Bijepur are mostly holding meetings with party workers in the constituency to firm up their strategies on maximising votes. Even after naming the star campaigners, the three parties are yet to finalise details of their campaign.
The BJP which is making all out efforts to wrest the seat from the BJD will launch its campaign from October 11. Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan is scheduled to address three public meetings in Bijepur, Gaisilet and Barpali, the three blocks that form part of the Assembly segment.
While sources in BJD said Chief Minister Naveen Patniak is likely to hit the camping trail either on October 17 or 18, details of his itinerary are yet to be made public.A host of BJD Ministers, MPs, MLAs and senior party workers who were camping in Bijepur during Durga Puja were seen visiting different puja pandals to get closer to people. On the other hand, some of the Ministers who were busy in their constituencies during the Puja, have left for Bijepur on Wednesday.
“We are confident of winning the seat this time as the public mood is strongly in favour of BJD,” said Agriculture Minister Arun Sahu who is in Bijepur.In a bid to outwit the BJP which has been concentrating at booth level, the BJD has constituted 16-member committees at each booth in which one-third of the members are women. Members of the booth level committees are conducting door-to-door campaigns highlighting the achievements of State Government and special focus of the Chief Minister on Bijepur, sources in the BJD said.
“All our senior leaders from Western Odisha are actively canvassing for party candidate Sanat Gartia. We are talking to several Central leaders, including party president JP Nadda, Union Ministers Smriti Irani and others to campaign for the party,” said BJP vice-president Samir Mohanty.
The BJP will make Chief Minister’s failure to keep his promise made to the the people of Bijepur in the last two elections as its main poll plank. Despite getting massive mandate, Naveen himself has cheated voters here, by vacating the Bijepur Assembly constituency seat, he added.
Bijepur is going to witness third election in less than two years. By-election to the constituency was necessitated after the Chief Minister vacated the seat by retaining Hinjil seat.