Parties’ voter connect drive begins

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Bhubaneswar: With the nearing of both Assembly and Lok Sabha polls in State, Congress and BJP have started to connect the voters directly.
Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) launched its ‘Jan Ashirbad Jatra’ here while State unit of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has started its ‘Jan Adalat’ programme.
Under the banner of ‘Jan Ashirbad Jatra’, Congress workers, led by Leader of Opposition Narasingha Mishra, marched from Lingaraj Mandir to Badheibanka.
Speaking to reporters, Mishra said, the BJD-led Union government has failed to fulfil promises it had made to the people before coming to power. “All the promises made for farmers and unemployed youths and others have not yet been kept. Rather, Rahul Gandhi has now promised minimum income to the poor in India. Whatever Congress had promised earlier, all have been fulfiled,” the Congress leader said.
“Hence, the wave of change is clearly felt in Odisha. Definitely there will be a change in Odisha. There will be fall in the BJD and BJP governments. The sun of Congress will rise,” he ascertained.
Informing media about the Jan Adalat programme, State BJP vice-president Samir Mohanty said, “Corruption has spread from panchayat to the State Secretariat. Urban development bodies like Bhubaneswar Development Authority & Cuttack Development Authority are embroiled in corruption. To take these issues to the people of Odisha, our party will organise Jan Adalat all over the State from today to February 17.”
The Jan Adalat will be organised in 21 Lok Sabha constituencies of the State. The people in all 7 Assembly segments in each Lok Sabha constituency shall be informed about corruption and inefficiency of the State government, he said.
A courtroom atmosphere will be created where a renowned person shall preside over as the Judge. The people present shall speak out against the corruption of their representative and the judge shall deliver the judgment, the BJP leader further stated.
The saffron party held such event at Berhampur, Puri and Kalahandi Monday. BJP has decided to hold such programme Mayurbhanj, Sambalpur & Kendrapada (February 12), Dhenkanal, Nabarangpur & Kendujhar (February 13), Bargarh, Cuttack & Kandhamal (February 14), Balasore, Koraput & Sundargarh (February 15) Bhadrak, Bolangir & Aska (February 16) and Bhubaneswar, Jajpur & Jagatsinghpur (February 17).
Reaction on this, BJD spokesperson Sasmit Patra said both Congress and BJP are just trying to hoodwink people. “Instead of conducting ‘Jan Adalats,’ the BJP leaders should prepare themselves to face tough questions as people are ready with charges against the saffron party. Though BJP had promised in its 2014 manifesto to provide special category status to Odisha, it is yet to fulfil the same.”
Patra further alleged that both the BJP and Congress have misled the people of Odisha while BJD is continuing its fight to protect the interests of the State.
“The Congress was in power for 10 years at the Centre and it was silent on Polavaram and the Mahanadi issue. It seems that the Congress only gets active when the elections are round the corner. Similarly, the BJP also supported Andhra Pradesh on Polavaram and remained mum on the Mahanadi issue,” the BJD leader added.