BJD way ahead of BJP, Congress in poll campaign

JAGATSINGHPUR: Banking on its organizational strength and mobilization of leadership for the Tirtol bypoll, the BJD  seems to have gained upper hand over BJP and Congress in campaign management.

The ruling party has engaged 34 senior leaders including three Ministers in different panchayats of Tirtol Assembly constituency. The BJD leaders along with party workers are visiting different villages and trying to woo voters by highlighting the achievements of the State Government and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

BJD’s Jagatsinghpur observer Debashish Samantaray and district president Prasant Muduli are monitoring all the three blocks of Tirtol, Biridi and Raghunathpur in the Assembly constituency. 

Mahakalapada MLA Atanu Sabyasachi Nayak has been appointed as team leader in Tirtol block while Higher Education Minister Arun Sahu and his Water Resources counterpart Raghunandan Das are in charge of Biridi. 

Deputy chairman of State Planning Board Sanjay Dasburma is leading the team in Raghunathpur block. These leaders are camping in Tirtol and visiting different panchayats every day to interact with party workers and voters.

On the other hand, though BJP and Congress leaders have started their election campaign in Tirtol, their efforts lack steam due to lack of a strong organizational base.

The State BJP leaders are yet to launch campaigns at the grassroots level as the party is facing a revolt over the selection of candidates. The BJP on Sunday announced Rajkishore Behera as its candidate for Tirtol bypoll much to the disappointment of a section of local leaders. The party’s candidate in 2014 and 2019 elections Ramakant Bhoi, an aspirant, has resigned from BJP and his supporters have even threatened to boycott the upcoming bypoll. They are unhappy with the party’s decision to field Behera who joined BJP last month after quitting Congress.

Last Monday, BJP State general secretary Bhrugu Baxipatra and district pravari were left embarrassed after two groups of party workers clashed during the inauguration of the party office in Tirtol.

AICC in-charge of Odisha A Chellakumar, OPCC president Niranjan Patnaik and other senior party leaders recently held a party meeting in Tirtol. Earlier, Jatani MLA Suresh Routray also met party workers in Jagnnathpur panchayat of Tirtol block. However, the efforts are not sufficient to counter the massive organizational apparatus of the BJD. Apart from BJP, BJD and Congress are yet to announce their candidates for the by-election.