For the first time,
the ruling party is campaigning through advertisements against
the Centre and also
releasing video clips
depicting how the
BJP-led Centre has
done injustice to
Odisha
Bhubaneswar: Campaigning for the simultaneous elections in the state is witnessing a new trend this time as parties, especially the ruling BJD and the BJP have been engaged in war of words – what may be termed as ‘negative campaigning’ against each other- this time.
During the electioneering, political parties and leaders are usually seen making tall claims and big promises and announcing sops to lure the voters. However, the top brasses of the saffron party and the ruling BJD are engaged in verbal duel and sometimes stooping lower unlike earlier elections, apparently to wrest maximum number of seats.
The BJP leaders including the party’s national president Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are directly or indirectly targeting the BJD leaders and the state government.
Shah has dubbed the BJD president and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik ‘a defunct transformer’ and appealed to the people of Odisha to throw him out this time. Though Modi did not hit out at Naveen directly during his campaign recently, most of his speeches was against Naveen and his government.
The BJD supremo is also not lagging behind and has given strong counters. Addressing a public meeting recently, Naveen has said the BJP had conspired to sell off the Chilika Lake, one of the biggest tourist destinations of Odisha. Describing BJP leaders as “seasonal birds”, Naveen has also said these leaders do not visit the state during natural calamities or when people are in distress.
For the first time, the ruling party is campaigning through advertisements against the Centre and also releasing video clips depicting how the BJP-led Centre has done injustice to Odisha.
Commenting on this issue, former political science Professor Surya Narayan Mishra said, “So much of negative campaigning during the elections is no good for a healthy democracy. Earlier, elections were not fought in this manner.”