Patnaik stress on development, ties with Biju babu

This time, Baijayant Panda, a close aide of Patnaik, is seeking re-election from here for a second term.

"Kendrapara was Biju babu's karma bhoomi. You still remember him. You are well aware of Biju babu's relationship with Kendrapara…The relationship has only strengthened with the BJD," Patnaik says. With five legislators in Kendrapara district, the electorate here is clearly in favour of the BJD.

"People's support is with him (Baijayant Panda). Through the years, his performance and efforts taken to connect with the people in interior villages are laudable," says Shyam Sundar Panda, a cement trader from Chanpur village, from where the BJD chief had kicked off his campaign in Kendrapara.

Prakash Kumar Dalai of Tilottamadeipur village says, "There may be doubts on the Kendrapara MP's performance. But he has never ignored the people at the grass-root level. There is a feeling any initiative for any major development in the region begins with him. Also, the fact that the Opposition fielded weak candidates will boost Panda's success."

"Biju babu's dreams are being fulfilled. Work has started on the second expressway between Cuttack and Chandbali. Construction has also begun on a railway line in Kendrapara," says Panda.

During his campaign, Patnaik also mentions his administration's deft handling of the Phailin cyclone, which fetched his government international acclaim. He lists the scheme for Rs 1/kg of rice for six million below-poverty-line families, as well as health insurance for an equal number of farmer families as his government's "big achievements".

Next, Patnaik reads the promises mentioned in his party's manifesto---developing infrastructure in all villages, converting all kutcha houses into pukka ones, loans at one per cent interest to farmers, and irrigation facilities for an additional 10,000 hectares of land.

The BJD chief winds up after speaking for barely five minutes. His cavalcade proceeds to the next stop, Chanpur, where a 15,000-strong crowd awaits him. Occasionally, Patnaik waves to the crowd, without alighting from his vehicle. In addition to Kendrapara, he also addresses rallies at Paradip, Tirtol, Balikuda-Erasama, Salepur, Niali and Ekamra.

It has been a busy campaign season for Patnaik. His poll campaign was launched on March 26, from his home turf of Hinjili. Since then, he has addressed about 100 rallies, holding an average of seven-eight public meetings every day.

The BJD chief is focusing on issues related to his government's schemes for the poor and the deprived, the party's targeted vote bank. In his campaigns, Patnaik, who may well emerge as a key player for political fortunes at the Centre, has remained largely quiet on various scams during the term of the United Progressive Alliance government, though he made a passing mention of the issue at the rally in Mahakalpada.

Through his campaigning, his criticism of the Centre has been restricted to price rise, the apathy of the Centre leaders during cyclone Phailin, denial of special-category status to Odisha and neglect towards the backward KBK (Kalahandi-Bolangir-Koraput) region.

His rivals in the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party have been vocal about the mining scam in the state and the diversion of funds under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme in Odisha.

Though Patnaik has successfully drawn crowds to his rallies, his limited understanding of the Odia language is a handicap. "The chief minister is not connecting with the people and is, therefore, unable to understand their real problems," says Shyam Sundar Panda of Chanpur village.