Parties intensify campaign politics to lure voters

BJD to raise special status issue at Ramlila maidan rally

With the scheduled assembly polls in the state in 2014 drawing nearer, major political parties of the state have intensified campaigns to lure voters.

The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) today announced to hold a rally at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi on June 12 to highlight the Centre's apathetic view towards state's demand for special category status.

Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia in a recent letter to the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik rejected the proposal saying that the state is not eligible for special category status as it does not conform to present criteria for such tag..

"We have planned to organise a meeting at Ramlila Maidan in New Delhi on June 12, which will be named as Swabhiman Samavesh. We will raise the special category status issue at the rally at central capital which will be attended by 30,000 people. The number may go up to 50,000 as about 40 Delhi-based Odia organisations have confirmed to join the rally," said Kalpataru Das, BJD vice-president and state Panchayati Raj minister.

The party leaders and supporters will travel to Delhi by six special trains, he added.

Main opposition party Congress said, it will hold demonstrations at district headquarters level on June 5 to expose the government bungling of chit fund scam and the involvement of ruling party leaders.

The economic offence wing of crime branch police, which is investigating chit fund scam, recently stated that some of the detainees have revealed about proximity of BJD leaders with them.

"On June 5, Congress leaders at each district headquarter will stage demonstrations and organize meetings to raise the chit fund scam issue. We will demand arrest of those involved on charges of criminal conspiracy and will present memorandum to the Governor seeking enactment of law to return money collected from general public by chit fund companies. We want CBI probe into the scam," said Jayadeva Jena, the Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president.

Similarly the BJP, which conducted Samprak Yatra campaign under the leadership its newly-appointed state unit chief K V Singhdeo in two phases in western and southern parts of the state, today launched the third phase of the campaign in north Odisha.

"The BJP will have no alignment with any party in the upcoming assembly and Lok Sabha election as desired by the central leadership. We will meet people at grass-root level to discuss their issues," said Singhdeo.

He has plans to cover four districts such as Balasore, Mayurbhanj, Jajpur and Keonjhar in three days and will organise meetings and rallies there.