Patnaik sets the tone for the 2024 polls, urges party to combat misinformation campaigns

Bhubaneswar, Dec 15 (PTI) Setting the tone for the 2024 general elections, ruling BJD president and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday called upon the party rank and file to effectively counter the misinformation campaign by opposition political parties as they do not have any issue to target the state government.

Patnaik said this while presiding over the Biju Janata Dal's 80-member state executive meeting at 'Sankha Bhavan', the regional party's state headquarters here. The meeting was held after a gap of three years.

"The transformation of Odisha has come as a big shock for opposition parties and they do not have any issue to raise against the state government," Patnaik said.

He said, "They therefore take shelter of lies and launch misinformation campaign against the BJD government. We have to effectively counter them from the grassroots level".

Patnaik, who has been the president of the regional party since its inception, also asked party leaders and workers to counter the opposition parties "misinformation" campaign through social media. This apart, he urged the party members to take the message of development to each household.

He said people know that a thousand lies do not make a truth. "Truth will prevail, development will win and we will create a new Odisha and an empowered Odisha," the state's five-time chief minister said in his address to party men and women.

Appealing party men and women to rededicate themselves to the service of Odisha people, Patnaik said, "Many people say BJD is a successful regional party. But for me, BJD is most successful socio-economic movement in the country," Patnaik said, adding that his party believes and works for the women empowerment.

A total of 32 proposals including one to defer the party's organisational election for a year were passed in the state executive meeting.

Though the regional party was not happy over the manner in which the Centre handled certain Odisha related issues, the BJD state executive did not take any aggressive stand against the BJP, but decided to request the central government to take required measures to overcome unpleasant situation.

The meeting resolved that the party would continue to work towards fulfillment of Odisha’s genuine demand for getting the Special Category State Status or the Special Focus State.

"The BJD state executive meeting also expressed its displeasure over the Centre’s silence on the Mahanadi water dispute with neighbouring Chhattisgarh and also the Pollavaram project in Andhra Pradesh. The party will continue to demand fulfill the state’s demand over the two issues," an official release said.

On coal royalty, cess, railway and national highway projects and issue of inflation, the BJD meeting resolved that the Centre would be requested to take required steps.

These apart, the BJD will also raise the issues relating to its demands like waiver of GST on Kendu leaves, which adversely affect lakhs of poor people, particularly the tribals, dalits and women in the state. The regional party has been demanding complete waiver of 18 per cent GST on Kendu leaf trade.

Briefing reporters, BJD’s senior vice-president Debi Prasad Mishra said the Centre has been adopting a step-motherly attitude towards Odisha. "The Centre has an indifferent attitude towards Odisha’s demand for a special category status. Despite our repeated demands, the Centre has not fulfilled it. Because of central apathy, we have to fight legal battle over the Mahandi and Polavaram issues. The party will raise its voice for its demands," Mishra said.

Mishra also announced that 5T (Transformational initiative) and Nabin Odisha scheme chairperson VK Pandian will not fight elections in 2024.

Referring to the regional party’s preparations for the upcoming general elections for Lok Sabha and Odisha Assembly, Mishra said the BJD has decided to organise panchayat-level meetings after the celebration of the party’s foundation day on December 26.

He said the campaign will be launched at the grassroots level from Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose’s Jayanti (January 23, 2024) up to Biju Patnaik Jayanti (March 5) to highlight the achievements of the BJD government and its development agenda being executed across Odisha.

In a separate resolution, the party said it would hold constituency-wise training programmes for party workers and leaders at ‘Sankha Bhavan’ followed by a zonal-level training.

Apart from MPs, MLAs and ministers, the executive body meeting was also attended by presidents of the party’s frontal wings and prominent leaders. PTI