As bypoll nears, BJP-BJD war of words intensifies

Bhubaneswar: With the campaign for the much-hyped December 5 Padampur byelection reaching fever pitch, the BJP and the BJD intensified the blame game on Wednesday, both accusing each other of misleading the people and resorting to violence.
Continuing the campaign for the second day in a row, Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan said the BJD government in Odisha was “tired” and losing the zeal to govern and do something new. “BJD is in the habit of appropriating the central schemes as its own. It is trying to win the Padampur bypoll by giving false assurances,” Dharmendra said while seeking votes for BJP nominee Pradip Purohit.
On a day the Naveen Patnaik government announced one acre land for Kulta, a backward class, in Puri and Rs 3 crore for a dharamshala, Dharmendra said instead of such lip service, the government should give the other backward classes their constitutional right of reservation in jobs. He said Odisha is among the worst states in violence against women.
Responding to Dharmendra, senior BJD leader Prasanna Acharya, involved in coordinating the regional party campaign, said the BJP leaders should answer why the Centre has not been paying the Rs 9,000 crore food subsidy to the state. He said the BJP should check statistics in states such as Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh governed by it where the situation is among the worst in country.
The BJP and the BJD separately moved the chief electoral officer (CEO) with complaints against each other.
Accusing the BJD of promoting violence, the BJP moved the CEO and demanded deployment of adequate central forces. “To manipulate the verdict in its favour, the ruling regional party has created an atmosphere of violence and lawlessness,” BJP leader Lekhashri Samantasinghar said.
The BJD moved the CEO alleging that BJP leaders gave money and liquor to a man to abuse BJD candidate Barsha Singh Bariha.