BMC polls: Parties make last ditch effort to woo voters in city

--Parties to keep vigil on distribution of money among voters

Linkan Subudhi from BJD is campaigning in her ward

BHUBANESWAR: On the last day of the campaign for elections to the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), political parties including BJP, Congress and BJD and their candidates made a last-ditch effort to woo the voters on Monday.

In the campaign trail, senior leaders from mainstream political parties addressed public meetings and organised mass contact programmes through road shows in a hurried manner to touch most of the wards in the city.

Though the curtains were virtually downed on mass public meetings, the independent candidates along with candidates of political parties would reach out to voters by going door-to-door personally and would approach them through mobile phone and internet to get votes.

Like Saturday and Sunday, BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday also hit the campaign trail for the party candidates and attended meetings at different places of over 16 wards. In his marathon campaign, Patnaik attended campaign meetings at Rental Colony of ward-15, IRC Village of ward-25 and 27, different areas of ward-1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 16, 20, 21 and 24 of under Uttar Bhubaneswar constituency.  

The BJD used Odia film star Anubhav as star campaigner along with MP and actor Siddhant Mohapatra. The BJD massively used campaign materials like posters, banners and equipment like decorative moving platforms.

Not to be far behind, Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Jaydev Jena also addressed a series of meetings at Saheed Nagar of ward-30, Bomikhal of ward-31, Jharpada of ward-32, Laxmisagar of ward-33, Maharshi College area of ward-34 and other areas of ward 35 and 41 with their candidates and sought support of the people to win the elections.

Union Minister Srikant Jena and party’s senior leader Prasad Harichandan and Kishore Patel took part in the processions.  

The BJP leaders also came out in a procession with its supporters to bang the campaign trail on the last day. Party’s State president KV Singhdeo during his marathon campaign addressed at Gautam Nagar of ward-55, Old Town area of ward-54, Barmunda Gaon of ward-50 and different areas started from ward-59 to 67. Besides, senior leader and former Minister Biswabhushan Harichandan also addressed several meetings in the city for their candidates.

The independent candidates, whose campaign lacked sparkle in absence of gaudy procession and star campaigners, were trying to win over voters by visiting every house and meeting every resident of their wards. Most of the independent candidates were dissidents of mainstream political parties like BJD and Congress.

Meanwhile, the Congress and BJP leaders said that they would keep strict vigil on distribution of money by other parties to lure the voters. They will be watchful on the movement of other party people in the night also, said a party leader of BJP, adding, “We have deployed our party people to keep eye on the miscreants who want to motivate the voters by distributing money and liquor.”

Notably, the poll would be held on January 8 and result would be declared on the very next day.