Bargarh: After the defeat of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in recent elections in Odisha, leaders of the regional party have been holding meetings regularly in an apparent effort to play the role of opposition in an effective manner.
The Naveen Patnaik-led party is making serious efforts to prepare a roadmap for the future, apart from discussing reasons behind its electoral debacle. At the same time, the regional party seems to be making a desperate bid to keep its flock together and save the organisation from disintegrating.
While trying to take on the first ever Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government in the state, the BJD held an important meeting in Bargarh on Tuesday.
Chaired by BJD district unit president Sushant Mohapatra, the meeting was attended by deputy leader of opposition in Assembly Prasanna Acharya, former Ministers Snehangini Chhuria and Rita Sahu, Padampur MLA Barsha Singh Bariha and Debesh Acharya. Office bearers of 12 blocks were given important tips by senior leaders, including Prasanna Acharya.
The BJD seems to be in an action mode to remain on the right track. Apart from party president Naveen Patnaik, senior leaders and MLAs have been making efforts to keep the BJD in limelight by raising people’s problems as the main opposition in the state. District-level meetings are also being held regularly.
A meeting was earlier held in the residence of former Minister Pratap Keshari Deb in Bhubaneswar. The meeting weas attended among others by BJD organisational secretary Pranab Prakash Das and former Assembly Speaker Pramila Mallik. The focus seems to be on tackling rift among party workers and leaders.
The BJD has also been mounting sharp attacks on the BJP government on several issues. The regional party has accused the Mohan Majhi government of halting many development projects.
Hitting back, the BJP has claimed that the BJD is unable to accept its electoral defeat. Senior BJP leader and Bargarh MLA Ashwini Kumar Sarangi said that if crackdown on illegal activities can be termed as anti-development step, they the saffron party will continue it.
