BHUBANESWAR: With the panchayat elections likely to be held within next six months, the ruling BJD has started preparations by reactivating the grassroots units which had remained dormant for more than one and a half years because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
While the State Election Commission (SEC) has already started the process for panchayat polls, observers appointed by the party for different districts are likely to start touring their areas from next week.
Sources said Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik will convene a joint meeting of all observers very soon to discuss organisational matters.
Earlier, he also had an informal meeting with all members of the Council of Ministers during which he is believed to have discussed organisational matters.
Signalling a revival of political activities, the Chief Minister had appointed senior observers of the party for all 30 districts. Secretary (organisation) of the BJD Pranab Prakash Das has started touring different districts to revive organisational activities.
While he visited Malkangiri, Koraput and Ganjam districts on Saturday, he reached Mayurbhanj district on Sunday. He will visit all the districts in July.
Party insiders said the focus will be on Ganjam as the party had lost ground following the arrest of former minister Pradeep Panigrahy for alleged involvement in a job scam.
Panigrahy was not only close to the Chief Minister but he was in-charge of Hinjili Assembly constituency and looking after organisational matters of the party for the entire district.
Vice-president and senior observer Debi Prasad Mishra has been put in charge of Ganjam to set right the district organisation ahead of the elections.