BERHAMPUR : Even as Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh flayed Odisha Government for its failure to take development to the people, his counterpart and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik was unscathed by the Opposition’s attack during his campaign in Hinjili segment of Ganjam district.
Putting up an impressive road show on his home turf on Saturday, Naveen called upon the people to vote for the BJD candidates in the panchayat poll.
After alighting at Hinjili at about 10.15 am, Naveen garlanded the statue of his father Biju babu and proceeded to Samarjholo. He covered most of his campaign on car and addressed gatherings from dais only at two places __ Samarjholo and Patapur. At the two meetings, Naveen preferred to keep his speech crisp and spoke only one line.
The BJD supremo attended 33 road shows and travelled around 80 km with people standing on either side of the road to welcome him at every street. Naveen, through road show, touched almost all the gram panchayats in Hinjili and Seragada blocks under his Assembly constituency Hinjili.
He covered Tanhara, Pitala, Narendrapur, Patharapunji, Dhanantara, Dhabalapur, Takarada, Mahupadar, Kulagada, Khirida, Bandhaguda, Baramunduli, Kumarapani, Karadakana and other villages in his constituency and addressed people from his car.
But for the first time, no elected representative accompanied the Chief Minister and the candidates for different posts with their supporters put up a show of their strength.
Tight security arrangements were made across Hinjili with 29 platoons of armed police, under the supervision of SP Asish Singh, guarding the routes that the CM touched.
For effective security, police had used drone for the first time to keep an eye on the unscrupulous elements. The panchayat elections in Hinjili and Seragada are scheduled to be held on February 21, the last phase of the five-phased panchayat elections in the State.
Hinjili and Seragada have 21 and 22 panchayats respectively, while six members of Zilla Parishad will be elected from both the blocks. The panchayat elections will be held in five phases on February 13, 15, 17, 19 and 21.
The Chief Minister left the district for the Capital city at around 1 pm after lunch at PWD guest house.