The top three political parties of Odisha — Biju Janata Dal (BJD), Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Congress — are yet to come out with their party manifestos for state assembly polls, which will take place two weeks later.
Busy schedule of party leaders amid infighting within parties have delayed the launch of poll agenda, they said.
“BJD has completed preparation of its manifesto. However, due to the busy schedule of the party leaders, particularly Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, we could not launch it on March 25 as announced earlier,” said a senior leader of the party, associated with the preparation of the manifesto.
The ruling party had constituted a committee under the chairmanship of Finance Minister and party vice-president, Prasanna Acharya to prepare the manifesto. However, Acharya is now busy engaging with the people of his new constituency Bijepur, after he was shifted out of Rairakhol, to fight the assembly polls.
Apart from Acharya, BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik, the only crowd puller for the party, has already set out on campaign trail from his home constituency two days ago and is expected to remain busy for next two weeks.
Though the party is confident to reap benefits from some populist schemes of the government such as distribution of free mobile and laptop to farmers and students, health insurance for farmers and construction labourers, one rupee per one kilo rice for below poverty line (BPL) population, cycles for school going girls and major grants to push rural infrastructure under various, everybody is keen to know what new promises the ruling party is going to make to win the polls.
One of the issues to find mention in BJD manifesto could be party’s stand on grant of special category state status to Odisha. The regional party has been persistently demanding this status to score political mileage over its main rival Congress and whip up sentiments against the Centre.
The assurance of fulfilling this demand by a national party in position to form government at the Centre may determine BJD’s post-poll alliance with that party, sources said.
The Congress has also not launched its manifesto. It had formed manifesto committee headed by former chief minister Giridhar Gamang. Though the committee had held its first meeting, the finalisation of state specific manifesto could not be done due to internal squabbling over ticket distribution.
“At a time when major leaders are deserting the party to join either BJD or BJP, who will think about party manifesto. Besides, our party has launched a national manifesto for general elections,” said a Congress leader.
The All India Congress Committee (AICC) recently launched a manifesto promising right to health and house if it is voted to power in the upcoming Lok Sabha election. However, there was no special mention about Odisha.
Congress observer B K Hariprasad, who arrived today did not say anything about party manifesto for Odisha. Instead, he informed about visits of Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh starting March 31 for campaigning in the state.
The BJP, which is trying to grab some assembly seats after its dismal performance in 2009, has also not released its manifesto. The party had surprised many by launching a manifesto during the urban local body elections last year, but it is yet to even convene its manifesto preparation committee for the assembly election, party insiders said.
Meanwhile, Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) has said that it would push for the creation of a Special Autonomous Council comprising Mayurbhanj, Sundargarh and Keonjhar districts in north Odisha, if its members are elected. During an interaction with media persons at Baripada, the Jharkhand chief minister and JMM leader Hemant Soren said, the BJD government, which has been ruling Odisha for the last 14 years, has never worked for the interests of tribal people in the state. The poll alliance between JMM and BJD could not take place due to delay in taking decision by Soren. The party is fielding candidates in eight assembly seats and one Lok Sabha seat in Mayurbhanj district.
