BHUBANESWAR: Ahead of the forthcoming
Lok Sabha and assembly elections, the BJD has decided to strengthen its organisation at the grass roots level. To that extent the party has formed committees in more than 90,000 wards across the state. The move is aimed at reaching out to rural households with the message of various welfare schemes and developmental activities that have been undertaken by the
Naveen Patnaik government in the run up to next year's elections.
"We have completed the formation of the committees in all gram panchayats. They form the foundation of our party. The committee members help in spreading messages related to our government's development initiatives," said Debi Prasad Mishra, BJD vice-president and state coordinator of the programme.
Mishra said earlier the party activities were confined to only four or five leaders at the
gram panchayat level. "Now, more leaders in the villages will able to know about the various government programmes and activities of our party," Mishra added.
BJD insiders said each committee comprising 15 to 21 members from various sections of the society would help in mobilizing voters.
Meanwhile, a section of BJD leaders said the programme was given shape to counter the BJP's Mo Booth Sabuthu Majbooth (my booth, strongest booth) initiative, under which the
saffron outfit has been trying to expand its footprints in the state.
The BJP has emerged as the principal challenger to the BJD following its good show in last year's panchayat election. Of the 849 zilla parishad seats, the BJD won 476 while the BJP increased its tally almost 10 times, as compared to 2012, by winning 297 seats. The Congress managed to win only 60 seats.
"Since the BJP decided to focus on booths, we moved to the wards, which is at the bottom of the organizational structure," said a BJD leader. The party has also engaged observers in some of the assembly constituencies to look after its activities.
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