AFTER 3 YRS, CM PATNAIK JOINS CAMPAIGN FOR CRUCIAL BYPOLL
BHUBANESWAR: Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday physically campaigned for Biju Janata Dal (BJD) candidate Barsha Singh Bariha in Padampur ahead of the December 5 assembly bypoll, marking his first trail appearance for any by-election since 2019.
Ever since his party swept the 2019 assembly elections, by winning 112 out of 147 seats, Patnaik has campaigned physically just once – in October that year, he visited the Bijepur assembly constituency to campaign for party candidate Rita Sahu in the bypoll. For the remaining polls, he addressed voters virtually instead of visiting the constituencies in view of Covid-19 restrictions in 2020 and 2021.
On Friday, the 76-year-old travelled to Padampur on a helicopter and addressed two election campaign meetings at Jharbandh and Paikmal blocks.
Bypoll in the seat was necessitated following the death of
former state minister Bijay Ranjan Singh Bariha last month.
At the meetings, Patnaik alleged the Centre was imposing high GST rates on trade in kendu leaf. “Do you know the GST on gold? It is only 3%, while the Centre charges 18% GST on kendu leaf trade,” the chief minister said.
Kendu leaf plucking is a major economic activity in Padampur.
Hitting back, BJP leader Lekhashree Samantsinghar said “the state government is hiding the fact that it imposes 9% GST on kendu leaf.”