DHENKANAL: Ahead of the general elections in 2019, both the BJD and the BJP have undertaken a massive publicity drive to enrol more and more youths into the their respective party folds leading to a poster war in the district. While the BJD has put up large size hoardings carrying photographs of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at different places in town, the BJP also launched a publicity campaign through wall paintings.
The district administration has also placed hoardings carrying cut-out of the Chief Minister with the achievements of the BJD Government in the district. The administration is organising job melas and enrolment of candidates at different blocks for capacity building under DDU-GKY programme.
Recently, there was a joint effort by the district administration and the State Government to connect with people at villages on the Children’s Day unlike the previous years. All schools were asked to watch the live telecast of the State level programme through TV. Special arrangements were made for this purpose.
Similarly, the BJD leaders, including MLAs, MPs and Ministers are accepting all public invitations and glorifying the achievements of the Naveen-led BJD Government at the functions.
Recently, at a public meeting in Kamakshyanagar, Agriculture Minister and senior BJD leader Damodar Rout urged local youths to get connected with the Government to speed up the development process in the district. Steel and Mines Minister Prafulla Mallick, Transport and Commerce Minister Nrusingh Sahoo, Dhenkanal BJD MLA Saroj Kumar Samal and students’ leaders were also present.
On the other hand, the district BJP unit’s core committee has decided to organise a mega public contact programme where Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan will grace the occasion in December-end. Former Rajya Sabha member Rudra Narayan Pany and district BJP president Bibhuti Bhusan Pradhan, who are mobilising people for the programme, said hundreds of grassroots-level leaders and their supporters will join the party during the event. Besides, they are visiting different villages where farmers have committed suicide due to crop loss and debt burden.
The BJP has launched a campaign through wall paintings carrying the photograph of Pradhan and other senior leaders to attract youths towards the party ahead of the 2019 elections. Former BJP MLA Krushna Chandra Patra said wall painting is going on in full swing at crowded places to draw attention of the people. However, Pany said the party has been raising public issues and creating awareness on welfare schemes launched by the NDA Government. Meanwhile, the BJP activists staged a demonstration demanding sub-division status for Parjang block.