Berhampur: Morning walkers in Odisha’s Berhampur were surprised to see the leaders of ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) exchanging sweet words when they met during a campaign at the MKCG Medical College Ground here.
The leaders of different political parties have now adopted a strategy to start election campaigning early in the morning from parks and playgrounds where people gather for their morning walks and daily exercise.
The people in the medical college ground were amused to see BJD’s Berhampur assembly constituency candidate and party’s Ganjam district president Ramesh Chandra Chyaupatnaik and BJP’s Berhampur Lok Sabha seat candidate Pradeep Panigrahy campaigning at the medical college ground.
Both the leaders were accompanied by their supporters. When Chyaupatnaik and Panigrahy came face to face, being junior in age, Panigrahy greeted Chyaupatnaik with folded hands.
The supporters of both the leaders, who were shouting slogans against each other stopped when two senior leaders greeted each other. However, when BJD supporters raised Jai Jagannath slogan the BJP supporters responded by chanting Jai Sri Ram.
Both Chyupatnaik and Panigrahy were arch-rivals in the Ganjam district politics. However, Panigrahy respects Chyupatniak as a senior leader as he had worked under him. Panigrahy the Gopalpur MLA was expelled from BJD in 2020.
Elections to the Berhampur Lok Sabha and Berhampur Assembly segment will be held May 13.
PTI