KENDRAPARA: With elections to Patkura Assembly segment just a week away, star campaigners of all the three major political parties, BJD, BJP and Congress, have hit the campaign trail to ensure victory of their respective candidates.
Although the battle for the seat is between the BJD and BJP, Congress candidate Jayant Mohanty is also being seen as a formidable rival owing to his support base in Derabishi block.
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Jayant has made the BJD neglect of Patkura his main poll plank. “People are not getting drinking water. Most of the schools have no teachers. Health care is in shambles due to unavailability of doctors in hospitals,” he said.
On Saturday, Congress MLAs and senior leaders Suresh Routray and Narasingh Mishra canvassed for Jayant.
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Suresh said he hoped people’s resentment against BJD and BJP will make them opt for Congress. He accused the saffron party and BJD of being on the same boat as was evident in the recent Rajya Sabha polls.
On the other hand, Sabitri, widow of former MLA Bed Prakash Agrawalla, is confident of taking her husband’s legacy forward. “My husband had developed a bond with his constituency over more than 40 years. He did several developmental works in the area.
I would like to continue his legacy,” said Sabitri addressing meetings at Chandol, Balia and other places on Saturday.
Addressing a meeting at Garadapur, BJP leader and former minister Damador Rout said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is afraid of BJP candidate Bijay Mohapatra.
He said the BJD supremo had back-stabbed Bijay by denying him a from Patkura seat at the last moment in 2000. “Bijay would play a major role as an opposition leader in the State Assembly,” Rout said.
Secretary of district unit of BJP Duryodhan Sahoo accused the ruling BJD of aiding rampant irregularities in selection of beneficiaries of Indira Awas Yojana and KALIA scheme.
BJP leader hurt in firing
Local BJP leader Vivekananda Moharana of Gulanagar village suffered critical injuries after being fired at by two unidentified motorcycle-borne criminals on Saturday.
The incident occurred in front of Gulanagar High School in Kendrapara Sadar police limits when he was returning home after attending an election meeting at Patkura.
The attackers managed to flee the spot. Moharana was initially rushed to the district headquarters hospital here and later shifted to SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack.
All the entry points have been sealed to nab the attackers, said SDPO, Kendrapara Rajiv Lochan Panda.
BJP district unit president Duryodhan Sahoo alleged that some anti-socials were involved in the attack to vitiate the atmosphere ahead of elections to Patkura Assembly constituency.