BHUBANESWAR: The BJD has intensified its campaign for the Kandhamal by-poll with Ministers and legislators taking out padyatra and rally in Kantamal Assembly segment on Sunday.
There has been an enthusiastic response to the padyatras of the BJD in different parts of the constituency, said Pratap Keshari Deb, former minister and coordinator of the BJD candidate. Attempts by opposition political parties to paint the party’s candidate Pratyusha Rajeswari as an outsider will have no impact on the voters, he added.
The party will organise padyatras at major places in the constituency to highlight the achievements of the State Government, Deb said.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is likely to hit the campaign trail for two days from October 9. He is also expected to attend several public meetings as well as road-shows.
As many as 13 Ministers and several MLAs are camping in different parts of the constituency to campaign for the party candidate for October 15 by-poll.
Meanwhile, BJP and Congress have stepped up campaign by raising the issues of corruption in Naveen-led Government.
The BJP, on the other hand, received a shot in the arm with a large number of district and block-level BJD and Congress workers joining the party during the last one week.
Joining of Lambodar Kanhar, leader of the Kui Samaj Samanvaya Samiti, is likely to give a boost to the electioneering of BJP candidate. Kanhar is said to have a good influence over the Kui speaking people in the district. He had supported the BJD candidate in the 2014 Lok Sabha election and was also an aspirant for a ticket from the regional outfit this time.
BJP has lined up several Central and State leaders to campaign for the candidate. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh, Union Ministers Uma Bharati, Manoj Sinha and Sudarshan Bhagat, former Jharkhand chief minister Arjun Munda will also campaign in the by-poll. Besides, two Union Ministers from the State - Jual Oram and Dharmendra Pradhan - will also campaign extensively in the constituency. BJP has fielded former Kandhamal MP Rudramadhab Ray in the by-poll.
Congress has stationed senior leaders and party MLAs in all the seven Assembly segments in the Lok Sabha constituency to campaign for party candidate Abhimanyu Behera.