The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has decided to make an early start for the preparations for the coming Assembly and Lok Sabha polls in Ganjam, the home district of the Chief Minister and the president of the party Naveen Patnaik. The ground work for the coming elections in 2014 would be started from December, informed Ganjam district BJD president Subash Moharana.
Speaking to newsmen in a press conference called up by the district unit of the party, he said this was being done to improve the performance of the party in the home district of the Chief Minister and leave no chance for the opposition.
It may be noted that both the Lok Sabha seats in Ganjam district, Berhampur and Aska, were held by the BJD. Out of 13 Assembly constituencies in this district, 11 had been won by the BJD in the last Assembly polls, while its ally the CPI won in one and the opposition Congress managed to get only one seat.
According to the BJD leaders, they now want to increase the vote percentage of the party further in the coming Assembly and Lok Sabha polls. They claimed that good performance of the party in the last panchayat polls and urban body elections in the district would also be a great help.
But when asked whether the district body would have any say during the selection of candidates for the Assembly and Lok Sabha polls, Mr Moharana said it would be the decision of the party president.
“But we will surely pass on the feedback from grass root-level workers in different constituencies to the party high command,” Mr Moharana said.
To strengthen the grass root-level organisation of the party , the BJD has formed special sub-divisional committees in Ganjam district. These committees are meant for Berhampur, Chatrapur and Bhanjanagar sub-divisions of the district. These committees would monitor the party organisation in their respective areas till the end of elections in 2014.
“We have decided to use the 16th Foundation Day observation of our party on December 26 to reorganise and revitalise the grass root-level party workers,” said vice-president of Ganjam district unit of the BJD Anil Sahu. Foundation Day would be observed in all blocks and urban centres of the district with an aim to bring in unit among the party workers.
The organisational preparations of the BJD for the elections in 2014 would start from January 1.
The BJD would try to vitalise its grass root-level activists in 22 blocks, 16 urban bodies in Ganjam district as well as in the Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BMC) area.
In February, the party is planning a major district-level workers’ meet in Ganjam district which would be attended by the party president Naveen Patnaik.
The party has decided to approach the administration to expedite the works of all projects for which foundation stones were laid by the Chief Minister in the district and in Berhampur.
