Bhubaneswar: Jharsuguda assembly constituency, where bypoll is scheduled to be held on May 10, is likely to witness a high-voltage campaigning as Chief Minister and BJD President Naveen Patnaik and Union Education Minister and senior BJP leader Dharmendra Pradhan are expected to hit the trail on May 7.
While BJP has confirmed Dharmendra’s visit to the assembly constituency, the ruling party is yet to issue a statement on whether Naveen would campaign physically for its candidate Deepali Das, daughter of minister Naba Kishore Das whose demise necessitated the bypoll, in Jharsuguda or via video conferencing.
BJPs general secretary Prithviraj Harichandan told the media that the Union Minister will hold roadshows and address public meetings at several places in the constituency, seeking votes for party nominee Tankadhar Tripathy. “Union Ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and Bishweswar Tudu will also campaign for Tripathy. The exact schedule has not been finalised yet,” he added.
According to sources, senior BJD leaders Prasanna Acharya, Debi Mishra, Niranjan Pujari, party’s organisational secretary Pranab Das and Rourkela MLA Sarada Nayak reportedly visited the venue, where BJD president is likely to address an election meeting in Jharsuguda on May 7.
Some sections of media, however, had earlier reported that Naveen would cover the entire constituency in a single meeting via video conferencing as the party was finding it tough to schedule public meetings for the chief minister in the four blocks of constituency.
This bypoll assumes significance since a win here is likely to give the victorious party a psychological edge before the twin polls in 2024. Having jumped into the political arena on the sudden demise of her father, Deepali is banking on the twin factors of sympathy and her own rapport with the voters. Besides raising the issue of ‘deteriorated law and order situation’ and ‘lack of development’ in the constituency, the BJP has propped the Dhamnagar model to give the regional party a tough fight.
