With eye on 2024 polls, BJD & BJP line up political activities
Naveen, Modi & Shah Rallies in The Offing
- Bhubaneswar: Ahead of next year's simultaneous Lok Sabha and state assembly elections, political activities have taken a quantum leap in Odisha.
- The Naveen Patnaik-led BJD is all set to launch a 20- day campaign on his father and party ideologue Biju Patnaik's birth anniversary on Sunday called 'Naveen Odisha (new Odisha), promoting 'Brand Naveen' with activities in all 147 assembly segments.
- The BJP has planned meetings featuring Union ministers and central BJP leaders starting this month. Following its impressive performance in the northeast, the saffron party aspires to do better in Odisha too.
- On Sunday, Naveen will embark on a roadshow in Bargarh district from Sohela to Gehs (18-km), Brundabahal to Amlani (60-km) in Kalahandi district besides flagging off of non-scheduled flight service from Bhubaneswar to Rangeland, dedicating Biju Expressway at Amlani and addressing five public meetings.
- As part of "Naveen Odis ha," an initiative for a developed and strong Odisha having self-respect, BJD workers would take out cycle rallies on Sunday, take a pledge to serve the people of Odisha with discipline and organize easy, debate and drawing contests in all 147 assembly seats on Naveen Odisha the- me between March 5 to March 25.
- "Biju's birth anniversary has always been a special day for not just BJD, but the entire Odisha because of the legend's exemplary courage and acts of bravery as well as vision and commitment to the state. It's the best occasion to rededicate us to serve the people," said senior BJD leader Prasanna Acharya.
- From women's day on March 8 to March 17, the BJD will organize women's meetings in all assembly seats to discuss BJD role in women's empowerment.
- The BJP is aggressively taking up issues such as "worsening" law and order at the grassroots level, planning visits of Union home minister Amit Shah towards this month-end, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and party President JP Nadda multiple times in April. Union minister of state for home Nityanand Rai, who was in Dhenkanal LS seat for party activities on Friday, said, "The BJP will do remarkably well in Odisha in the next election."
- The BJP had emerged main opposition party in 2019, relegating the Congress to the third spot, and had won eight of 21 Lok Sabha seats and 23 of 147 assembly seats in the state. This time it eyes 11 other LS seats where it had finished second. The BJD had won 12 LS seats and 112 assembly seats.