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Thursday, May 22, 2008
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BJD gets into poll mode

Special Correspondent

Naveen asks partymen to highlight ‘achievements’

BHUBANESWAR: The ruling Biju Janata Dal on Wednesday started formal preparations for the forthcoming elections with party president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik calling upon his party leaders and workers to strengthen the party’s organisation at every level.

Addressing a meeting of the 64 party observers at the party headquarters here, Mr. Patnaik said it was time for the party leaders and workers to work hard to ensure party’s victory in the coming polls.

He asked his party colleagues to highlight the achievements of the State government and the `neglect’ of the State by the UPA government at the Centre at various levels.

Mr. Patnaik asked the observers to tour the districts that they had been allotted from May 23 to 27 and submit reports to him at the end of their visit.

Observers appointed

Two observers each have been appointed for the party’s 32 organisational districts of the party in the State.

Almost all the senior leaders and party Ministers who had been appointed as observers attended the meeting.

Booth committees

The observers were asked to ensure constitution of the party’s booth committees at every election booth in all the 147 Assembly seats of the State.

The observers were told that if they find there were differences among party leaders at the district, block or panchayat levels, they would make efforts to sort out the issues.

Many senior leaders who spoke at the meeting stressed the need for swapping a few seats with their alliance partner the Bharatiya Janata Party by assessing which of the party had better chances of winning a seat.

Of the total 147 seats, while the BJD has been contesting in 84 constituencies, the BJP has been fighting in the remaining 63 places.

Although there were talks about swapping a few seats during the 2004 polls, no changes had been made.

The meeting decided that the party would soon bring out a brochure containing the achievements of the BJD-BJP alliance government during the past eight years for distribution across the State.

World Bank study

The latest World Bank study that has highlighted the alliance government’s success in improving the State’s financial position would also be highlighted by the party, the meeting decided.

It was also agreed by all present in the meeting that Mr. Patnaik would be projected as the Chief Ministerial candidate as had been done in the past two Assembly elections.

About the party’s decision to form booth committees in all the 147 Assembly seats, a senior party leader said that in places where the party would not have its own candidate the committee would assist the BJP nominee.

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