BHUBANESWAR: As the November 3 bypoll gets closer, political parties have stepped up their campaign amidst the Durga Puja festival with the candidates trying to reach out to the people personally.
The BJP which has launched an aggressive campaign in the Balasore Sadar constituency to retain the seat has made neglect of the district, the main issue in the electioneering. National spokesperson of the BJP and Bhubaneswar MP Aparijita Sarangi campaigned for the party candidate Manas Ranjan Dutta.
Alleging that the ruling BJD has neglected the constituency during the last 20 years, Sarangi referred to the large scale vacancies in the post of doctors in the district. Out of the 373 sanctioned posts of doctor in the district, 183 posts are vacant, she said, referring to the lack of health care facilities in the area even during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Stating that the BJP is a party that works for people and is with them always, Sarangi said that though around 50 MLAs and ministers have camped in the constituency, it will have no impact on the voters. People have already decided that they will vote for their late MLA’s son to fulfil his unfinished works, she said.The Bhubaneswar MP also lashed out at the Odisha government for taking action against general public and BJP leaders for alleged Covid-19 violations while remaining silent about such violations by BJD leaders. She referred to the large gathering in the BJD district office by party workers recently when the regional party’s candidate for the Balasore Sadar seat was announced.
Congress has also intensified its campaign in the seat. People of the constituency have not elected a Congress MLA from the seat in the last 30 years, but why is there widespread corruption and backwardness all around, Congress in-charge of the constituency Tara Prasad Bahinipati questioned and urged people to vote for the party candidate Mamata Kundu for a change.
Odisha in-charge A Chellakumar also campaigned for the party candidate and requested the people to vote for Congress to end the reign of corruption and mafia raj in the constituency.Balasore Sadar seat is seen as a fight for prestige for the BJP as it has fielded deceased sitting MLA Madan Mohan Dutta’s son Manas Ranjan Dutta.