BHUBANESWAR: The BJP, which is trying to give a tough challenge to the ruling BJD in the three-tier panchayat polls beginning from February 13, will press into service at least two chief ministers and three union ministers to campaign for the party candidates.
Chief ministers of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand Raman Singh and Raghubar Das, union ministers Jual Oram, Ramkripal Yadav and Dharmendra Pradhan and a number of other central and state leaders will
extensively campaign for the BJP candidates across the state.
Campaign schedule of the Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand chief ministers and other central ministers are being worked out and will be finalised soon, BJP spokesperson Sajjan Sharma said and added that these
leaders will campaign all over the state for the five phase polls.
Inclusion of Raman Singh in the list of star campaigners by the BJP had evoked strong protest from the BJD, Congress, Samajwadi Party and even a section of the BJP because of Mahanadi river water dispute with Chhattisgarg.
However, BJP state managers had dismissed the issue and announced that this will have no impact on the voters.
The state leaders of the BJP have already started their campaign for the panchayat polls across the State.
The schedule of chief minister Naveen Patnaik who is leading the BJD campaign is also yet to be finalised. The schedule is expected to be finalised after the Republic Day celebrations, senior party leaders said and added that the chief minister will launch his campaign from February 1. He is not expected to
address public meetings in all areas, but will concentrate on districts where the BJD may face problems.
Senior BJD leaders in the list of star campaigners and others in the party have already started electioneering and are camping in their respective areas. Despite enthusiasm shown by the BJP and
Congress, the situation at the grassroots level seems to be very different.
Sources said BJD supported candidates have become uncontested in hundreds of seats for ward member, sarpanch, panchayat samiti member and Zilla Parishad zone seats. BJD leaders maintain that the presence of main opposition Congress is not enthusiastic even though the party has submitted its list of star campaigners to the State Election Commission (SEC) on Sunday.