By-poll: Naveen to campaign on November 25

BHUBANESWAR: Campaigning for the Umerkote by-poll is reaching crescendo with party leaders canvassing full throttle for the candidates. Though BJD’s posters and banners are conspicuous by their absence in the Maoist-infested Raighar block, stage is set for  Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s proposed visit on November 25.The Chief Minister will address two public meetings, one at Umerkote and another at Raighar on the same day. However, his campaign schedule may undergo changes later.Meanwhile, the Orissa Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) has demanded deployment of Central Paramilitary Forces (CPMF) to ensure a free and fair poll. OPCC general secretary Arjya Kumar Gyanendra said the party would submit a formal request to the Election Commission (EC) in this regard on Wednesday. Alleging  foul play including use of money power in the final days of campaigning, Gyanendra said the party did not have faith in the fairness and impartiality of the local police.Gyanendra said the BJD is far behind the Congress and BJP in campaigning. But those in charge of the BJD campaign have predicted the party’s sure win, he said and added that this had raised suspicion about the designs of the BJD poll managers. The State Congress has requested West Bengal Irrigation Minister Manas Bhuyan and Raiganj MP Deepa Dasmunshi to campaign for the party to woo the Bengali voters. Gyanendra said the campaign programmes of the West Bengal leaders would be finalised in a day or two.The BJP, on the other hand, is confident of a victory in the election and hopes to wrest the seat from the BJD. “If the electronic voting machines (EVMs) are tamper-proof, then the BJP is sure of its victory despite BJD’s unlimited wherewithal,” BJP spokesman Ashok Sahu said.A high-level team from the BJP including former State president Suresh Pujari, senior leaders Bijay Mohapatra and Biswa Bhusan Harichandan have reached Umerkote for campaigning. Meanwhile, BJD Rajya Sabha member Pyarimohan Mohapatra reached Umerkote on Tuesday for the second leg of campaigning.