Bhubaneswar: With the election to the Patkura Assembly seat drawing closer, political parties are now leaving no stone unturned to ensure the victory of their respective candidates.
Several Union ministers, state ministers and other senior leaders from across party line are now making a beeline to the Assembly constituency, which has turned out to be a prestige issue for the BJD and its chief Naveen Patnaik, on the one hand, and former BJD leaders, including the BJP candidate Bijoy Mohapatra, on the other.
Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Dharmendra Pradhan joined Mohapatra Sunday to tour the constituency and woo the electorate, who would elect their new MLA July 20.
Speaking about the high-tension campaign by the BJD, Mohapatra claimed that it reflected the regional party’s desperation to win the seat. He said, “Can the state ministers thronging the constituency draw the BJP votes in their favour? They are coming as tourists. The voters know that the BJD is putting in all e4fforts out of fear and desperation. The visits of the BJD leaders to the constituency reflect their desperation.”
He further said, “The BJD leaders are aware that Patkura will witness a change this time. People are disgusted with the lack of development in the areas and hence the BJD is feeling the anti-incumbency factor. Change is evident in Patkura,” Pradhan too said he was confident about the victory of Mohapatra and the saffron party.
The BJD, meanwhile, is keen not to lose the race and is trying its best to woo the voters. Several ministers and senior party leaders are visiting the constituency to ensure the victory of the party candidate Sabitri Agarwala, wife of former party MLA Bed Prakash Agarwala, whose death led to the postponement of the election here. The party seems playing the ‘emotion card’ to win over the electorate.
PNN