Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Union Minister Smriti Irani today hit the campaign trail in Bijepur Assembly constituency to canvass for the candidates of their respective parties and wooed farmers, and weavers, who comprise over 50 per cent of electorate.
It was a show of strength by the ruling BJD and the opposition BJP as both the parties roped in star campaigners to woo voters ahead of the Bijepur Assembly by-poll slated to be held on Sunday.
Patnaik, who is also the BJD president, and Irani, a senior BJP leader, addressed more than two public meetings besides holding roadshows in separate areas, as the electorate of the Assembly constituency witnessed trading of charges between the BJD and the BJP.
In his address at Badagaon village of Barpali block, Patnaik highlighted the activities undertaken by the Odisha government for the development of farmers and weavers and hit out at the Centre for imposing GST.
''The weavers here have made Odisha proud. Unfortunately the Centre imposed 18 per cent GST on handloom products. However, after Odisha's demand the GST was reduced to 5 per cent. We are demanding a complete waiver," he said.
The chief minister said the BJD government had implemented Gangadhar Meher lift irrigation project to address the problems of farmers in Bijepur. The project will irrigate 32,000 hectares -- 19,000 hectare at Bijepur, 8,000 at Sohela and 5,000 at Barpali.
To woo the women voters, he spoke of his choice, Rita Sahu -- the widow of former MLA Subal Sahu -- as the party's candidate for the bypoll.
Patnaik, who will spend the night in Bargarh district, also took part in a 6-km long road show from Barpali to Kumbhari village.
Hours after Patnaik's meeting at Barpali, Irani, the Union Minister for Textiles and Information and Broadcasting addressed her second public meeting at Bijepur and countered the chief minister's charges.
Earlier, Irani had addressed a meeting at Gaisilat where she talked of the benefit of the Centre's Ujjwala Yojana to women.
Seeking votes for BJP candidate Ashok Panigrahi, she said the Centre has also made schemes to provide safe drinking water for all which will mitigate the hardships faced by women.
''Development has gone for 'vanvas' since 18 years under Naveen babu's rule. Now, you have to decide the fate of BJD government,'' Irani said.
''Though he (Patnaik) claims to be worried for the weavers community, he has never written a letter to the textile ministry nor spoken to me over phone on the problems faced by Odisha weavers,'' she said.
Alleging that Patnaik has been misleading people in order to garner votes for his party candidate, Irani said, ''Patnaik has been misleading people as GST is not applicable on handloom products below Rs 20 lakh turnover. How can it affect the weavers earning Rs 5,000 or Rs 6,000 per month ?''
Highlighting the Centre's Jan Dhan Yojana, She said, ''Goddess Laxmi doesn't come walking with Naveen babu, but sits atop the 'lotus' and ushers in prosperity.''
Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who shared the stage with her, claimed that though the state government has announced a Rs 1250 crore irrigation scheme for the farmers of Bijepur it has not made allocation of even Rs 1,250 for it in the state budget.
''The irrigation project announcement was made to mislead people to get their votes," Pradhan said.
Union Minister for Tribal Affairs Jual Oram accused the BJD government of not bringing development in Bijepur and across the state.
Congress candidate Pranaya Sahu, who has been campaigning with the local Congress leaders, claimed, ''The people of Bijepur have decided to vote for Congress as they see flow of black money both by BJD and BJP.'
The Congress has been holding the seat since 2004.
The bypoll in Bijepur Assembly segment was necessitated due to the death of Congress MLA Subal Sahu in August last year. The constituency has 2.21 lakh voters.
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