With a new team at the helms of affair of the State BJP, the party has changed gears to be prepared for 2014 polls reorganising and strengthening party at the grassroots. While former State BJP president Suresh Pujari, who has been nominated as the chief spokesperson of the party, has launched a vitriolic campaign against the BJD and the Congress, meetings are being held at all levels to rejuvenate the party workers and bring all factions closer.
In Sambalpur, where the district was split between the factions led by Suresh Pujari and Sambalpur MLA Jayanarayan Mishra, State BJP president KV Singhdeo has managed to broker peace between the warring leaders and made them fight for the cause of the party. He even visited Sambalpur twice in recent past and held discussions with the leaders.
The sudden spurt of activities in BJP camp has reportedly unnerved the district Congress and the BJD who have their share of work ahead of the 2014 polls.
At the BJD workers convention last week, presence of senior party leader like Prasanna Acharya, who has been staying away from party affairs in the district, indicated that the party has pushed the panic button. In fact, Acharya is also on look out for a safe seat with the Congress likely to put up a united fight. Acharya called upon the party workers to unite and work in tandem to ensure defeat of the Congress.
While the BJD is targeting Congress, the latter on its part is looking at both the BJD and the BJP as its rivals and has begun organising workers’ convention and forming committees at the grassroots. A Congress workers’ convention was held at Sambalpur on the occasion of death anniversary of Rajiv Gandhi which was attended by many old Congressmen. Congress leaders said the party was preparing both for the Municipal and 2014 polls and would try to win all urban local body (ULB) polls slated for September in run up 2014 polls.