With eye on polls, BJP, BJD up the ante against each other

BHUBANESWAR: The BJP and BJD hit the streets on Tuesday as part of their three-day protests on a range of issues, as the parties gear up for next year’s simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly elections.
While the BJP staged dharna at multiple places in the state capital seeking chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s resignation in the wake of Naba Das’ murder by a policeman on January 29, the BJD highlighted reduction in food subsidy and termed the BJP as “pro-Adani, anti-poor.”
The BJP leaders and workers staged demonstrations at AG Chowk, Jaydev Vihar, Palasuni, Khandagiri and Samantarapur. “Political violence has increased in the past few years. In most cases, the government has been sheltering the accused because of involvement of ruling party politicians in the crimes. In a state where an influential cabinet minister is not safe, one can imagine the plight of common man,” the BJP statement read.
BJP MP Basanta Panda said, “An ambience of fear and lawlessness has been created in Odisha due to the chief minister’s inefficiency” The BJD, meanwhile, staged demonstration near Raj Bhawan against reduction in paddy procurement from 18 lakh metric tonnes to 4 lakh metric tonnes by the Centre and scrapping of Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY) and submitted a memorandum to governor Ganeshi Lal, highlighting the same. Former minister and BJD MLA Arun Kumar Sahoo said, “The scrapping of PMGKAY will not only affect the poor from getting free ration, but also farmers, as this will reduce procurement.” Both parties described the other’s agitation as diversionary tactics. While Sahoo said BJP has started protests to divert people’s attention from the Centre’s fund cut to welfare schemes, BJP leader Golak Mohapatra said the BJD had begun the agitation to deflect people’s focus from the worsening law and order situation.