In Odisha Rural Polls, Campaigns Highlight Modi, Naveen Achievements

Bhubaneswar: The BJD and the BJP, the two main players in the three-tier, five-phase rural polls in Odisha, are relying heavily on the charisma of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to steer their parties to victory.

The campaigns of both parties are highlighting what they have done to improve rural infrastructure.

A BJD campaign, accompanied by Naveen’s photograph, tells voters what the state government plans to do for roads and transportation in rural areas, promising to build 55 modern bus stands in 22 districts.

The party promise is accompanied by an artist’s rendering of how these bus stands will look: spacious, modern, swanky and multi-level with an impressive façade.

The BJD says these bus stands will become the lifeline of villagers in Odisha.

In a similar campaign by the BJP, accompanied by Modi’s photograph, the party is highlighting the Centre’s works to bolster rural roads in Odisha under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, building lakhs of kilometres of new roads spending more than Rs 3.29 lakh crore.

In the run-up to the polls, the Odisha government has widely publicised two of Naveen’s flagship programmes: the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) smart health cards and the ‘High School Transformation’ Under its 5T initiative.

For its part, the BJP is highlighting the hugely successful COVID-19 vaccination programme of the Modi government, as well as the PM Awas Yojana.