Opposition Congress Thursday assured the people of the state not to "repeat its past mistakes" for which the party has been kept out of power since 2000.
The assurance to the people was given by OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik while addressing public meetings in Balasore district during the day one of the party's Jan Sampark and Jagaran Yatra.
Admitting that there were some "mistakes" on the part of Congress during its rule in 1980s and from 1995-2000, Patnaik said: "The people have therefore kept us out of power. But we promise not to repeat this in future."
While coming down heavily on the BJD government in the state and the NDA government at the Centre, the OPCC president alleged that Chief Naveen Patnaik has dragged the state many years back in these 18 years of his rule.
The OPCC chief said he and other Congress leaders have come down to interact with the common man, to know their problems directly from their mouth and to establish a strong bonding.
The team led by Patnaik which travelled in a bus, visited Barunsingh, Nuagaon, Shergad, Biruan, Naraharipur, Kurada, Khannagar, Saraswatipur, Sutei and Karanjia Gram Panchayats and met people from different strata, discussed a number of topics with them.
In a public meeting at Remuna, Patnaik alleged that the BJD has betrayed Odia people.
"The common people with great hope had given BJD in the state and BJP at the Centre, a chance to rule, but this was mis-utilised again and again," Patnaik said.
He alleged that both the governments are functioning only on false promises and statements.
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