The State unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party has decided to appoint senior leader Bijoy Mohapatra as convenor of the Programme, Planning and Implementation (PPI) committee, which will be responsible for running focussed political campaign.
“Formation of the PPI committee is a significant decision as far as the party’s public action is concerned. Instead of reacting to any issue, the party will from now on proactively identify issues concerning people and build up movement,” said Arun Singh, party’s in-charge for Odisha, after three-day-long State executive meeting here on Sunday.
Besides, the PPI will formulate the party’s stance on bad governance of Naveen Patnaik government, corruption and failure of schemes, Mr. Singh said.
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Mr. Mohapatra was in forefront of the party’s campaign in Kandhamal by-election. After that, he found himself in the forefront of party’s affair in the State on limited occasion.
The BJP is now set to use political acumen of Mr. Mohapatra, who is a member of the national executive, and sharpen its attack on the BJD government. This is the first major assignment the saffron party has conferred on Mr. Mohapatra, who is known as main political rival of Naveen Patnaik.
The senior BJP leader will be assisted by party’s vice-president Pratap Sarangi, who has been made co-convenor in the committee.
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The 14-member committee has three sitting legislators -- Rabi Narayan Nayak, Pradip Purohit and Radharani Panda -- as its member. Besides, senior leaders Jainarayan Mishra and Sameer Mohanty have also been included.
The State Executive also decided to highlight achievements of the Narendra Modi government, which would complete one year on May 26.
“During past one year, the Modi government has made spectacular achievements. It has created Niti Aayog replacing the Planning Commission in a bid to give the States prominent roles in formulating policies. It has also taken care of social security of people,” said Basant Panda, BJP’s legislative party leader in State Assembly.