Naveen meets BJD panchayat members, discusses strategy

BJD president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today held a brain-storming session with the party's newly-elected panchayat samiti members, in the wake of BJP's rise in the state rural polls.
At the programme, which came barely two weeks ahead of BJP's national executive meeting scheduled here, Patnaik interacted separately with the newly elected members from Jajpur and Koraput districts.
"Panchayat representatives presented various suggestions which they want to be fulfilled. I also asked them to work honestly and hard for the people," Patnaik told reporters adding, he would meet the representatives again after six months to review the situation.

The Chief Minister asked them to keep in touch with people and make them aware of various welfare schemes being implemented by the state government, said BJD spokesperson Amar Satpathy.
Senior party leader Surya Narayan Patro said the BJD president would also undertake surprise visits to different areas in order to assess the ground situation.
Patnaik's meeting with grass-root leaders as part of the post-panchayat poll review came ahead of BJP president Amit Shah's proposed meeting with his party's booth-level leaders of the state Odisha.

The BJD president, who had invited his party leaders for discussion, inquired about the reasons of defeat of BJD candidates in certain areas, BJD sources said adding the Chief Minister was worried about his party losing around 180 Zilla Parishad seats this time.

Though the BJD claimed that party candidates have captured about 72 per cent of the state's 314 blocks and maintained its status of being the single largest party in Odisha, the state leadership was worried as the BJP has won 297 Zilla Parishad seats in the rural polls, compared to its earlier performance of 36 Zilla Parishad seats in 2012.
The BJD, which has been successful in retaining power since 2000, was also apprehensive that BJP could make significant gains in the coastal region, considered a BJD stronghold.