BHUBANESWAR: With campaigning for elections gathering pace, parks in the state capital have become ideal platforms for candidates to interact with voters during their morning and evening walks.
Candidates from both BJD and BJP are making regular appearances at different parks in the city, engaging with citizens and seeking the blessings of elders in their quest to secure public trust and support.
The city has around 200 parks including 64 large and more than 100 community-managed and colony parks that draw large groups of individuals from diverse backgrounds daily for morning and evening walks, yoga and other fitness activities. The new Ananda Van, an urban forest spread over 90 acre in Shankarpur mouza, is the latest addition to the impressive array of green spaces of the city.
BJP candidate for Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha seat Aparajita Sarangi and her rival Manmath Routray of BJD were both seen interacting with citizens at Ananda Van on Sunday morning. Manmath had also visited Buddha Jayanti Park in the city’s north Assembly constituency on Saturday while Aparajita had visited the park in the morning on the same day.
In fact, both of them are now seen taking part in outdoor games, clicking selfies with youngsters, meeting elders and engaging in a slew of other fitness activities in different parks of the city on a regular basis. Apart from the two Lok Sabha candidates, Assembly candidates of both BJD and BJP are also visiting different parks in the city to connect with voters.
“As these parks draw diverse crowd daily, they provide an ideal opportunity for candidates to interact with voters of all age groups and amplify their campaign,” said campaign strategist of a Lok Sabha candidate. Meanwhile, candidates have claimed their visits to the parks have nothing to do with campaigning and seeking votes.