Cuttack: With elections to urban local bodies (ULBs) closing in, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has switched to top gear in its campaign in the city.
The candidates of BJP for councillor posts in Cuttack Municipal Corporations (CMC) have been engaged in taking out rallies with their followers in the narrow lanes of the city. Not less than state president of the party Samir Mohanty has been accompanying the party candidates’ rallies.
Mohanty participated in one such rally in Kathagada Sahi in support of the party’s councillor candidate for ward no 25 Sritam Das on Friday. Accompanied by traditional drum-beaters of the locality, he walked around the ward with the party workers.
Speaking to the media on BJP’s agenda for CMC polls, Mohanty said Cuttack people want a change this time. They are totally dissatisfied with the tardy pace of different development projects in the city.
“Be it Swachhata campaign or drainage problem or road network, all the projects have been hanging fire for several years. While the Centre has been pumping money for development of the city, the state government has misappropriated the funds by diverting those to other heads for its own benefit,” said Mohanty.
On BJP’s prospects in the ULB polls in context of its dismal performance in panchayat elections, he said the party has accepted the people’s verdict and expressed gratitude for their support. “Despite the setbacks, we will continue to fight for double-engine government in Odisha for its development,” he added.
The councillor candidate Das said, “There is a wind of change in Cuttack. People are dissatisfied with the ruling BJD for neglecting the Millennium City in all aspects. I am confident that they would vote for BJP for over-all growth of the city.”
