BHUBANESWAR : With political activities gaining momentum and BJP launching an aggressive campaign at the grassroots level in view of the panchayat elections scheduled early next year, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is set to visit the western Odisha districts soon.
The Chief Minister will visit Sundargarh district towards the end of this month to distribute smart health cards under the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) which the BJD wants to use as a trump card in the panchayat polls. The Chief Minister will subsequently visit other districts where the main rival BJP has a strong base. After Sundargarh, the Chief Minister will follow up with tours to Balangir and Mayurbhanj districts.
Sundargarh, Balangir and Mayurbhanj seats had gone to BJP in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections. Besides, the Jan Ashirwad Yatra by Union Railway Minister Ashiwni Vaishnaw seems to have galvanised the BJP party organisation at the grassroots level. Vaishnaw visited Koraput, Nabarangpur, Kalahandi and Balangir districts during his four-day Yatra in Odisha.
Sources said the BJD is also planning to counter the BJP in a massive way by stepping up party activities at the grassroots level. Ministers, party MLAs and senior leaders will camp at the constituency level before the visit of the Chief Minister to educate the people about welfare measures undertaken by the State government.
The BJD campaign will be based on smart health card launched by the government and how it is an unique scheme in the country. Besides, other schemes including the school transformation programme will be major campaign issues before the BJD. A senior leader said the campaign of the BJD in the panchayat polls will be positive and the track record of the government will be put before the people.