Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday arrived at his home district of Ganjam to embark upon a two-day tour as campaigning for the ULB polls entered its last leg.
Addressing a public gathering of around 8,000 people at RL Tank Road in Berhampur, the BJD president said his Government has initiated several development schemes.
“However, there is lot more to be done for which cooperation of people is required,” he said, adding that special focus is on helping unemployed youths, the elderly and under-privileged women of the State.
The BJD has fielded 39 candidates for the poll to Berhampur Municipal Corporation. The Chief Minister urged upon voters to exercise their franchise in favour of the BJD candidates.
After arriving at the city, he spent some time at the circuit house before starting his roadshows. Naveen also addressed public gatherings at Polosara and Digapahandi.
On Tuesday, he is scheduled to campaign in Chhatrapur, Ganjam and Rambha before leaving for Bhubaneswar.
Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BMC) is the only corporation in the State to hold election along with other urban bodies. This will be the first election for the corporators and Mayor as it got the corporation status after the last urban local body election.
All political parties including BJD and Congress are making frantic efforts to win the election. BMC has 40 Wards. While for the BJD, it is a prestige issue as the district is represented by Naveen and three other ministers, the Congress is doing its best to patch up the differences among its leaders and put up a strong fight.
Ministers Suryanarayana Patra, Bikram Kesari Arukh, Usha Devi, Kalpataru Das, MLA Sarada Nayak, trade union leader Subash Singh are campaigning for BJD candidates.
Congress, which was banking on Union Minister and Telugu superstar K Cheeranjivi to campaign for the party in Berhampur and other urban bodies in Ganjam district, has been disheartened as his programme was cancelled.
Former Union minister Chandrasekhar Sahu who is spearheading Congress campaign in Berhampur, however, had said that Congress has a good chance to win.