Wake-up and reconnect with people: Naveen to BJD MLAs

Ruling BJD president Naveen Patnaik today asked party MLAs not to be disheartened by the trends emerging from the Odisha Panchayat elections and take it as a wake-up call.
"You should not be disheartened by the reverse. I advise you to take this signal seriously as a wake-up call and get reconnected to the people and workers at the grassroots level," Patnaik, the Chief Minister of Odisha, told BJD MLAs while addressing the party's Legislature Party meeting ahead of the Assembly's budget session.
According to the trends available so far for the Panchayat polls, the ruling BJD might lose about 200 Zilla Parishad seats, while the opposition BJP could secure about 300 Zilla Parishad zones. Polling was held for 848 ZP seats.

BJD had secured 654 ZP seats in the 2012 Panchayat elections, while the BJP had just 36 seats.
"Make sure that all government welfare and development activities/programmes reach the people properly, effectively and efficiently," Patnaik said.
The BJD president, however, said his party has returned as the number one party in the state after the polls.

"Opposition parties are way behind the BJD. So the underlying message is, people do not want a change. They want you to perform even better in the areas where you have not met their expectations," Patnaik said.
Humility and simplicity are required in thought and action when dealing with people, he said adding "I hope you will never let down the belief and faith that the people of Odisha have in us."

Claiming that the trends indicate most of the Sarpanch, Panchayat Samiti and Ward Member candidates who had faith in BJD have won in large numbers, Patnaik said he was satisfied over the performance in some districts.
Patnaik alleged that Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman
Singh, during his election campaign in Odisha, had tried to "misguide" the people by giving false and fabricated information.
"Singh had suppressed the fact that his state is taking water of Mahanadi illegally and arbitrarily violating the basic norms of a federal set up with active partnership of the central government, which will seriously jeopardise the interest of the people of Odisha in future," he said adding, BJD's fight for Mahanadi was beyond political and electoral interest and it would continue.

Patnaik said issues like the Mahanadi dispute and the Polavaram project need to be raised in the Assembly.
"We should leave no stones unturned to counter the false, baseless and frivolous allegations of the Opposition on the floor of the House. As most of the Government of India schemes are now at 60 per cent to 40 per cent sharing basis, we have huge challenges ahead. But, we shall continue to focus on our priority areas and make adequate provision of funds for all the schemes that are important for the people of Odisha," Patnaik said.
The Chief Minister, however, refused to comment on the outcome of the Panchayat elections in public.

"It would not be appropriate for the Chief Minister to make a statement on the polls at this time. I will make my statement on 25th of this month after the results are declared officially," Patnaik told reporters outside the Assembly.
On the budget session, he said "It is an important session and we are open to all discussions with the Opposition in matters relating to the budget.