Bhubaneswar: Putting an end to all speculations, ruling BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, today, decided to campaign for his party candidates in Ganjam district tomorrow.
Patnaik will campaign for the BJD candidates contesting in the three-tier panchayat elections only in his constituency of Hinjilicut, though many party leaders wanted the chief minister to visit their areas, party sources said.
According to programme fixed by the party, Patnaik is scheduled to campaign for BJD candidates at Tanhara, Pitala, Narendrapur, Patharapunji, Dhanantara, Dhabalapur, Takarada, Mahupadar, Kulagada, Khirida, Bandhaguda, Baramunduli, Kumarapani and Karadakana in Seragada block.
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Panchayat polls in these areas will be held on February 13. Patnaik will hold road shows instead of addressing any public meeting, they said.
The BJD president who had atteneded at least 50 public meetings during the panchayat elections in 2012, preferred to concentrate in his own constituency this time, even as chief ministers of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand are campiagning for BJP candidates in different parts of Odisha.
Party sources said that Patnaik had already toured all the 30 districts of Odisha before announcement for the panchayat elections were made.
While Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh addressed three public meetings in Bolangir, Jharsuguda and Sundergarh yesterday and will be campaigning in the state again tomorrow, Jharkhand chief minister Raghubar Das has also been campaigning in Odisha.
Union Ministers Jual Oram, Dharmendra Pradhan and Ram Kripal Yadav are busy campaigning for the BJP candidates in Odisha.