By Prasanta Kumar Dash
Bhubaneswar, April 13: At a time when the political parties are preparing for the biggest democratic war, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Odisha, which has been ruling over the state for the last 24 years, is meticulously planning to win the elections to form government for sixth consecutive time in the state.
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Besides the traditional ways of campaign, the BJD is again going to lure voters with the help of ace Ollywood stars, who will canvass in favour of the party.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik interacted with the Odia movie actors, actresses, and singers and sought their assistance on promoting wide-spread developmental programs of the Odisha government at the grass-root level, during the election campaign. Popular artists including Babushan Mohanty, Amlan Das, actress Lipsa Mishra and Ollywood fame Bhumika among other attended the meeting.
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The actors and actresses said that discussions were held on propagating the developmental goals set for Odisha from 2024 to 2034 which are scheduled to be showcased to the people during the poll campaigns.
However, some eminent faces of the BJD who were hitting the campaign trail in the previous elections in 2019 and 2014 have left the party. Odia film star Anubhab Mohanty recently left the BJD. He joined the BJP.
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Odia actor Sidhant Mohapatra who was a two-time BJD MP from the Berhampur LS constituency also joined the BJP as he was not fielded from his aspiring seat this time. Mohapatra had made an easier entry to the ruling BJD as a film star. Similalrly, Akash Dasnayak who was once upon a time elected as Korei MLA also left BJD and joined the BJP. His access to the state BJD, had begun from poll campaign to influence people across the state in favour of the ruling party.
Earlier, Munna Khan, an ace Odia film actor came associated with the BJD and gradually groomed himself as a frontline leader of the party. With earning credibility, he was appointed as the Chairperson of Odisha Film Development Corporation (OFDC) who was later nominated as the MP for Rajya Sabha. Subsequently, Cine and Tele actor Satyabrata Tripathy, popularly known as Kuna Tripathy campaigned during the Bijepur by-poll. He was appointed as the OFDC Chairman. Similarly, Tattwaprakash Satpathy, popularly known among audience as Papu Pom Pom joined the BJD. With his growing popularity, the party had given a MLA ticket to Papu from the Champua Assembly constituency, though he lost the election.
Sources said, the BJD is going to encompass more singers, actors and entertaining artistes to the electoral battleground this time to counter the BJP, which has Anubhab Mohanty, Sidhant Mohapatra among other actors.
