All set for BJD show of strength for tomorrow

Reported by Chinmaya Dehury
Bhubaneswar, Mar 4:

The stage is all set for the ruling BJD to hold three mass conventions on Wednesday at three different places far apart from each other to garner public support ahead of elections in the state.

The three mass conventions – at Bhubaneswar, Sambalpur and Berhampur – are being organised to mark the birth anniversary of the legendary Biju Patnaik. The party expects a congregation of over four lakhs in the conventions.

While a youth congregation will be held in Bhubaneswar, a women’s congregation will be held in Berhampur. A convention of farmers, Kendu leaf pluckers and construction workers will be organized at Sambalpur.

All the three conventions will be attended by chief minister and party supremo Naveen Patnaik.

The 13-day long ‘Sankha Bajao, Swabhimaan Banchao’ campaign that started on February 20 will culminate tomorrow with the three congregations which BJD leaders have claimed will draw huge crowds.

“It will be the biggest rally in Sambalpur in the post-independence period,” boasted Panchayati Raj minister Kalpataru Das, who is in the wetsern Odisha town to oversee preparations for the mega event tomorrow.

On his part, Finance minister Prasanna Acharya claimed that there is ‘unprecedented’ enthusiasm for the convention tomorrow.

In Berhapmpur, Revenue minister Surya Narayan Patro said the party is expecting a crowd of one and a half lakh women at the convention at Ankuli tomorrow. “The Chief Minister will arrive here between 11 am and noon to address the women, who will come from all over south Odisha,” Patro said.

In Bhubaneswar, commissionerate police has made elaborate security arrangements to manage the traffic system and security of the people.

Senior BJD leaders Sanjay Dasburma and Arun Sahu today discussed the security arrangements for the youth convention with Police Commissioner RP Sharma, who said around 23 platoons of police personnel would be deployed in and around the venue of the convention.