BIJEPUR:THE BJP is playing up the issue of firing on the house of Mandal president of BJP Yuva Morcha Manoranjan Meher at Pada village late on January 7 evening even as it launched “Ganatantra Banchao Padyatra” on Tuesday protesting inaction of the police over the incident.
Political observers feel that the padyatra will prove crucial in the run-up to Bijepur bypoll slated to be declared anytime after January 20, when the revised electorate roll will be published. Aware of the impact of the outreach, the BJP is trying to gain maximum mileage out of the padyatra and has carefully planned small meetings all along the route of the padyatra where senior BJP leaders will highlight the achievement of the NDA Government.
In a bid to strike the right chord, the BJP has coined the slogan “insecured, unsafe, neglected and humiliated” Bijepur and is projecting itself as the saviour. The padyatra, which began from Pada where the firing incident took place, was led by State BJP president Basanta Panda, who was accompanied by BJP MLAs K V Singhdeo, Pradeep Purohit, Radharani Panda, former MLA Jayanaryan Mishra, State BJP vice-president Aswini Sarangi, secretary of State BJP Yuva Morcha Irasis Acharya and hordes of BJP supporters who held placards with messages against the BJD.
During the padyatra, the entourage stopped at Bijepur bus stand where they held meeting before reaching Purna and held another meeting covering Gandpali.From Purna, the BJP leaders headed for Jaring where a meeting was held before concluding their padayatra at Bandhpali.The padyatra will resume on Wednesday morning when the entourage will leave Bandhapi for Chikinipali, Dhaurakhanda, Gopeipali, before reaching Barpali, the birth place of Gangadhar Meher in the afternoon.