Bhubaneswar: Just ahead of the 2019 elections, the ruling-party in Odisha is all out to paint the town green by its verdant banners, posters and hoarding. While on one hand, the ruling-BJD rolled out its doorstep campaign, Ghare Ghare Sankha - Coonch (party symbol) in every house - to collect feedback to finalise its 2019 poll manifesto; on the other hand, party president and CM Naveen Patnaik, said he is committed for a new Odisha.
From Bhubaneswar to the remotest village in the State, advertisements by the State government have been put up highlighting its various schemes. While some believe that the all-round failure of the BJD government has forced it to depend on such propaganda, Opposition alleged that crores of public money is being spent on misleading advertisements to win votes.
As the model code of conduct will be imposed in a few days, a meeting of the council of ministers was held today at the State Secretariat where Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik claimed that all the promises made by his party in its 2014 election manifesto have been fulfilled. He further said that his party will continue to keep his promises in future.
On the other hand, CM Naveen also today launched 'Ghare Ghare Sankha: Matamata Diyanti Apana, Palana Karanti Naveen' programme- a people connect programme with an aim to reach 86 lakh families and seek their opinion for the party's manifesto for the upcoming polls.
However, many believe that BJD's 'Ghare Ghare Sankha' programme is a copy of the famous slogan of BJP- 'Har Har Modi, Ghar Ghar Modi.'
Besides, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan today took a dig at the BJD and asked what had stopped the party for 19-years to seek suggestion from people. "After BJP carried out Jana Paramarsha Yatra in Odisha, BJD just went ahead and copied us," said Pradhan.
Odisha Congress chief Niranjan Patnaik however said that it's obvious that political parties leave no stone unturned to win trust of people during elections but nothing can be predicted till the results are declared.
"Parties will try their best in their own ways to win trust of people. They (BJD and BJP) have supporters, we also have our own supporters; but how many people trust them can only become clear after the results are announced," said Patnaik.