Bhubaneswar: Opposition Congress promised free power to the people living below poverty line while ruling BJD assured voters of overall development on the last day of campaigning for Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) polls that came to an end on Tuesday evening.
“If Congress wins the BMC polls, the poor people using up to 200 units of electricity will be given free power," Union Minister Srikant Jena announced besides opening English medium schools for the children of slum dwellers.
Reacting to the Congress’s promises, energy minister Arun Kumar Sahu said, "The Congress knows that they are not getting elected in the BMC elections at any cost. Therefore, it is a pure political gimmick."
Along with party candidates, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Jayadev Jena visited every ward and talked to people about the civic problems.
Congress MLA Prasad Harichandan, who also joined the campaign trail, alleged that the ruling party neglected the drainage, sanitation and cleanliness issues of the city. Without getting lured by the money and muscle power of the ruling party, voters should vote judiciously, Harichandan added.
Congress also accused the BJD government of handing over the education system to the education mafia in the state capital.
BJD candidates also took out colourful rallies in vehicles decorated with the party symbol and posters. The party chief and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also left no chance to attract voters on his side. Similarly, ministers and MLAs of the ruling party sweated out for the wooing act. BJD MP Baijayant Panda, who mentioned about the clean governance of Naveen Patnaik in the rallies, hoped that his party would make clean sweep during the polls.
Odia film star Anubhav Mohanty and Uttam Mohanty were campaigning for BJD candidates in wards while Patnaik himself skipped official work to mingle with people.
BJP's state president K V Singhdeo and senior leader Biswabhushan Harichandan launched a door to door campaign and promised to solve civic issues if their party comes to power.