BJP decision to rope in Chhattisgarh CM Raman Singh for campaign comes in for criticism

Charttisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh. | File Photo
Charttisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh. | File Photo

BHUBANESWAR: The inclusion of Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh in the list of star campaigners of the BJP has come in for sharp criticism from the BJD which is going to make the Mahanadi river water dispute a major poll plank during the panchayat polls. The BJP today revised the list of star campaigners and included the names of Singh, Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das and other central leaders.

The BJD, however, maintained that roping in more leaders from outside the state by the BJP to campaign for its candidates will have no impact on its performance. "Campaign by Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand chief ministers will have no impact on the poll performance of BJD candidates," BJD spokesperson Surya Narayan Patro said. Patro said people will ask Raman Singh questions about Chhattisgarh's construction activities on the upstream of Mahanadi which will choke flow of water to the river. As BJD will make Mahanadi river water dispute between Odisha and Chhattigarh a major poll plank, campaign by Raman Singh will bring the issue back to the centre stage. "Singh and Das are no doubt big leaders of the BJP. But people do not know them in Odisha," Patro said.

The BJD leader said by deciding to rope in Raman Singh to campaign in Odisha, BJP has extended support to Chhattisgarh in the ongoing dispute over the Mahanadi river water. "It has also proved that the party is more than the state for the BJP leaders," he said. Raman Singh's inclusion in the list of star campaigners of the BJP has already been opposed by the state unit Samajwadi party.

State unit president Rabi Behera announced that Singh will be opposed during his campaign in the panchayat polls. Chief minister Naveen Patnaik will campaign for the party candidates during the panchayat poll this time after the last date of withdrawal of nomination papers on January 21. He is expected to address public meetings in all the 30 districts.

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