Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday held a massive road show in the state capital during which he reached out to people reiterating BJD’s commitment to provide free electricity to 90 per cent of households in Odisha.
In what is seen as a calculated strategy, the BJD removed its most popular face and star campaigner to neutralize the impact of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s road show held exactly a week ago.
Thousands of supporters gave Naveen a warm welcome when this mega program, which started from Ganganagar, reached major parts of the city. The event saw the return of a specially designed vehicle, which the CM very famously used during his campaign in 2019.
The BJD supremo, who was sitting on the hydraulic platform along with 5T chairman VK Pandian, came out from the sunroof of the specially designed bus and greeted the crowd and inquired about their well-being. He reiterated BJD’s commitment to provide free electricity to about 90 per cent of Odisha’s population from July after the party forms the next government.
“People in the state will get free power supply from July,” Naveen said while urging people to vote for BJD MLA and MP candidates by pressing the party’s conch symbol on the EVMs.
Pandian said Naveen will take oath as chief minister on June 9 and his first task will be to fulfill the party’s promise of free electricity.
“About 90 per cent of families in Odisha will benefit from the relaxation. The Chief Minister will ensure that everyone gets Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) card. Pandian said, he will also provide pension to women SHG members under Mission Shakti after they attain the age of 60 years. People can be seen wearing new caps, holding BJD flags and expressing their support for the BJD supremo. As Naveen’s convoy moved towards Gopabandhu intersection, Ganganagar echoed with drum beats and traditional dance performances.
Thousands of citizens gathered on the road to get a glimpse of Naveen. Many people said that there is no anti-incumbency wave against Naveen as he has done a lot of development work in the last 25 years.
A group of senior citizens, who usually return home around 6 pm after evening walks, waited for an hour near DAV School in Unit-VIII to listen to Naveen. Bansidhar Nayak, 78, said, “There has been a lot of development in the transport, health and education sectors during the tenure of the Chief Minister.” Many youth said that the state government has done many things including employment generation.
“Chief Minister increased the age limit for OPSC and OSSC exams. He was also successful in promoting the IT sector in the capital city, which has given the youth a chance to work in the state instead of going to other metro cities,” said Syed Irfan, a citizen.
During the road show, various groups from different districts like Koraput and Ganjam performed traditional dances. Large cutouts of Naveen could be seen in all the areas through which his convoy moved forward. The event concluded at Shishu Bhawan Square after crossing various areas like Kalinga Stadium Square, Satya Nagar and others.
BJD’s Bhubaneswar MP candidate Manmath Routray and Central Assembly candidate Ananth Narayan Jena were present at the road show.
