For the BJD and the State Government, all the roads lead to Delhi. Even as the Congress and BJP step up their campaign against the State Government over the chit fund scam, the BJD is leaving no stones unturned to make its June 12 ‘swabhiman rally’ at New Delhi to demand special category state (SCS) status for Odisha a success.
Advance teams comprising ministers, MLAs and youth leaders have been sent to mobilise support and prepare for the rally. The BJD leaders expect a gathering of 30,000 at the Ramlila Maidan, the venue.
Four committees for accommodation, crowd management, mobilisation and overall management have been constituted for the rally. The committees are headed by ministers and MLAs.
The first batch of ministers, Kalpataru Das, Prasanna Acharya and Maheswar Mohanty, who were camping at New Delhi for the rally have returned. Agriculture Minister Debi Prasad Mishra, deputy chief whip Sanjay Dasburma, party MLAs Prabhat Biswal and Sameer Das along with several Biju Yuva Janata Dal (BYJD) leaders have left in the second batch. Besides taking care of the management of the rally, the advance team will campaign in areas having Odia people in support of the demand for the special category state status for Odisha.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, who returned here today after a four-day visit to New Delhi, told mediapersons that the rally is being organised to press for the demand of the State.
Naveen said he would submit a memorandum carrying signature of one crore people supporting demand. “We will submit signature of one crore people of Odisha in support of the special category status to the President of India,” he said.
The Chief Minister said that he has apprised deputy chairman of the Planning Commission MS Ahluwalia and other members of the panel about Odisha’s claim for special status. The state satisfies all criteria to get the SCS tag except having an international boundary, he said. BJD’s rally would follow Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar’s ‘Adhikar’ rally demanding special category state status for his state. Odisha’s rally will mark the culmination of the ruling BJD’s month long campaign launched on April 28 for special category state status.
