BJD Win In Jharsuguda Bypoll: Good Governance, Not Double Engine Matters, Says Naveen

By Sidharth Kanungo On May 13, 2023

Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister and BJD president Naveen Patnaik on Saturday said good governance always wins the trust and confidence of the people in a party.

Addressing the BJD leaders and workers at the party headquarters, Sankha Bhawan, in Bhubaneswar, Naveen congratulated the people of Jharsuguda for electing the party candidate, Deepali Das in the byelection to the Assembly constituency whose results were declared on the day.

“This is the victory of the people of Jharsuguda. I am grateful to them for reposing faith in BJD once again,” he said.

In a rebuff to BJP’s call for double engine government, the chief minister said, “Single engine or double engine does not matter. From people’s point of view, governance is important. Good governance and pro-people governance always ensure victory for a party.”

He also expressed his appreciation of the tireless efforts of the party workers in extreme heat to ensure victory of Deepali. “I am confident that your efforts will not go futile as development works started by the former minister Naba Kishore Das will be carried on by her daughter.” The by-election was necessitated following the murder of Naba Das, the father of Deepali allegedly by a policeman on January 29.

He further said the result is the right reply to the Opposition parties which had disrespected the women in Padampur byelection. “Women are pride of Odisha. The BJD has always respected them for their contribution to the society. Out government has created Mission Shakti for empowerment of the women. Now, the women have come out of four walls of their houses and taken leadership in governance and all spheres of life,” he added.

Deepali also joined the meeting through video-conference and expressed her gratitude to the chief minister for reposing his confidence in her by nominating her to contest the byelection.

The ruling BJD retained the Jharsuguda Assembly seat with Deepali trouncing Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Tankadhar Tripathy by a margin of 48,721 votes in the byelection held on May 10.