BHUBANESWAR: A day after the final results of the panchayat polls gave a massive mandate to the BJD, Chief Minister and the ruling party president Naveen Patnaik switched to the election mode again, marshalling leaders and organisational cadre for the upcoming urban local body (ULB) polls on March 24.
Not sparing any time for celebrations over the unprecedented success in the rural polls, Naveen held a virtual meeting with all party MPs, MLAs and observers of different districts on Wednesday to formalise the strategy for the ULB elections and keep the momentum going.
The ruling BJD is seemingly not in as comfortable position in the urban areas as the rural parts. The anti-incumbency factor in the cities and towns is more prominent, and the 2019 general elections reflected so. The BJP was ahead in as many as 89 of 114 urban pockets even though the BJD had swept the Assembly seats.
However, Naveen had started a concerted move to make amends since by not only initiating many individual city/town specific plans and programmes including massive infrastructure and urban/heritage development but also reorganising the party machinery. Like the panchayats, the BJD has also already positioned observers and senior leaders in each of the urban bodies while the Opposition is yet to get its act together.
Talking to the party leaders, Naveen said that transformative governance and empowerment of people are the hallmark of the State government. Asking them to focus on good work done by the government in urban areas, he set the campaign issues for the party.
The Chief Minister said that the scheme Jaga Mission to provide land to poor people has set a benchmark. Similarly, providing street lights in majority of urban areas, providing safe drinking water and setting up waste management systems, massive city beautification exercise, upgradation of community and sports facilities are some of the works done by the government that can be highlighted during the campaign, he said.
Besides, he said, the State government has also created employment options for the women through Mission Shakti, improved ward-level infrastructure in urban areas and introduced online services in municipalities keeping welfare of the people in mind. The government has worked with commitment for all residents of urban areas, starting from those residing in apartments to slum dwellers.
The Chief Minister said that the party leaders will have to take the success of the government to the people to counter the misinformation campaign of the Opposition.Stating that the Opposition had launched misinformation campaign against the government during the panchayat elections which was completely rejected by the people, Naveen said that they are going to repeat the same thing during the ULB polls. It is responsibility of all party leaders and workers to expose the misinformation campaign of the Opposition against the government and BJD, he asserted.