BHUBANESWAR/NUAPADA: With just over a week to go for the Nuapada by-election, BJD president Naveen Patnaik finally joined the campaigning for party candidate Snehangini Chhuria on Monday, making “theft” and “betrayal” his main poll pitch.
Leading the charge against the BJP government in the state at a public meeting in Komna, Naveen said the saffron party had come to power by “vote theft” and now has even resorted to stealing candidates. “The people of Nuapada, BJD and I, all have been betrayed. The people are angry and will give a befitting reply on November 11 in the bypoll,” he said.
Naveen was referring to BJP candidate Jay Dholakia, son of former minister and sitting BJD MLA Rajendra Dholakia, who had ditched the BJD on October 11. The demise of Rajendra Dholakia had necessitated the by-election. The BJD had finalised Jay as the party candidate, but he joined BJP just before his announcement.
The BJD president also reminded the people of the development works undertaken in the district during his government. “The Biju Expressway was constructed, irrigation was provided to 10,000 hectare of agricultural land and welfare projects were implemented for people residing in Sunabeda sanctuary. However, things have come to a standstill after the BJP came to power in the state. BJP is hero in false propaganda and zero in work,” he said.
Accusing the BJP of betraying the people’s mandate, Naveen said the party had promised free electricity up to 300 units, Rs 3,500 old age pension per month and jobs to 100 youths in every panchayat. But it has failed to keep these promises after coming to power.
The employees of Mission Shakti, who brought a revolution in women’s empowerment in Odisha, are not getting salary for the last eight months and crimes against women have also crossed all limits in the state. Besides, farmers are reeling from acute shortage of fertilisers, he added.
“The BJP is not a game changer, but a name changer government,” he said and urged the people to vote for the BJD candidate in the upcoming by-election.
