With eye on polls, CM to start touring districts from January 1st week

BHUBANESWAR: Chief minister Naveen Patnaik will embark on a tour of the districts from the first week of January in what is being seen as the start of his campaign for the 2019 elections.


The chief minister had carried out a similar exercise before the 2014 Lok Sabha and assembly elections, paving the way for his return to power for a record fourth term.

Though the district-wise schedule is yet to be finalized, sources in the chief minister’s office (CMO) said Naveen will cover all the 30 districts during which he will inaugurate development projects, lay the foundation stone for new ones and address public rallies.

The chief minister will be travelling almost every day for the next two months, barring the period when the People’s Empowerment - Enabling Transparency and Accountability of Odisha Initiatives (Peetha) camps are held between the 15th and 20th of every month, said a senior state government official.

As per the initial programme, Naveen is expected to visit more than one assembly constituency on a single day and would strive to touch all 147 before the elections are notified.

Sources said the district administrations have been asked to complete pending projects to be inaugurated by the chief minister before the model code of conduct comes into effect ahead of the elections. They have also been asked to identify new projects based on people’s requirements for laying foundation stones.

As the BJD looks for a record fifth term in office, the ruling party leaders feel Naveen’s visit to the districts will help the party beat anti-incumbency that many leaders expect to face. The visits are also seen as a strategy to counter the aggressive campaign launched by the opposition Congress and BJP against the BJD government.

“The chief minister’s visit to the districts always has a positive impact. He is also the key factor behind BJD’s success over the years. We have initiated several development works under his leadership, which the chief minister will highlight during his visit to the constituencies,” senior cabinet minister and BJD vice-president Surya Narayan Patro said.

Though Naveen visited Ganjam, Kendrapada, Jharsuguda and Jajpur districts to dedicate development projects in the past one month, there are chances he could visit these districts again.