KV sounds optimistic, says BJP will form govt in Odisha

By A.K.Sahoo

Bhubaneswar, April 24: The BJP is hopeful to him government in Odisha. The state president of the party Kanak Bardhan Singhdeo told reporters on Thursday that his party would get absolute majority in the just concluded elections, leaving far behind the ruling BJD and the Congress.

“People have given massive mandate in favour of the BJP. Voters, especially the youngsters, have overwhelmingly voted for us and we are surely going to form the government in Odisha,, Mr. Singhdeo said.

Asked on the number of the Assembly seats his party expectedly to get, Mr Singhdeo did not pronounce any specific figure.

“Wait till May 16…we will get a startling number of seats,” he claimed.

The BJP stalwart said he suspected an internal discontentment brewing in the ruling BJD and predicted that it would spell disaster for that party.

Reacting to Mr Singhdeo’s remark senior BJD leader Pravat Tripathy said the BJP was ‘day-dreaming’ to form the government.

“The BJP president is day-dreaming to form the government in the state. I doubt if the party would get a respectable number of seats this time. The saffron party which got only six seats in the last Assembly elections would not be able to improve its performance this time,” said Mr Tripathy.

9 daily-wage earners killed as truck ram into passenger van

By Satchindananda Behera

Bhubaneswar, April 24: At least nine persons were on Thursday killed and as many others injured, some of them seriously, - when a van carrying them collided head-on with a truck at Chandol police outpost chowk in Odisha’s Kendrapara district, nearly 60 km from here, on the Cuttack-Chandbali state highway.

Those killed were poor daily wagers and five of them were women. They hailed from Gandhipalli locality on the outskirts of Cuttack city.

The victims were members of a marriage light decoration party.

 The ill-fated van coming from Kendrapara early in the morning met with the accident with the truck which was coming from opposite direction.

Kendrapara superintendent of police Rabi Narayan Behera said six persons died on the spot while three others succumbed to their injuries on the way to hospital.

The 11 others were rushed to the SCB Medical College and Hospital, Cuttack.

 The van that met with the mishap was carrying about 18 persons.

Of the nine injured, the condition of the three injured was stated to be critical.

Reports said a group of labourers from the Gandhinagar slum near Mahanadi Vihar in Cuttack had gone to Kendrapara to carry decorative lights on their heads in a marriage procession.

After doing their job, they were on the way back to Cuttack in two Tata Magic vans.

On the way, a truck coming from the opposite direction, suddenly lost balance after one of its front tyres suddenly burst and collided head-on with the Tata Magic van, killing six labourers and driver on the spot.

Three others with grievous injuries died on their way to hospital.

Devotees participating in Chhabadi Sobha Yatra of Siridi Sai (Photo-Badal Lenka)

Jaydev, Niranjan at daggers drawn again

BY NALINI SAHU

Bhubaneswar, April 24: The internal bickering in the Odisha Congress unit continues, albeit with the same intensity as it was before the elections, cutting a sorry figure among the party workers.

The present Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Jaydev Jena and his predecessor Niranjan Patnaik on Thursday re-engaged in a verbal duel over the management of the just concluding Assembly and Lok Sabha elections in the state.

Speaking to the media persons here, the former PCC president Mr Patnaik said the Congress missed a “golden chance” to come to the power in Odisha as the incumbent party state chief Jaydev Jena could not carry along the entire organisation with him during the elections. He alleged that the wisdom of the senior leaders and the services of dedicated party workers were not fully utilised by the PCC president to score over the ruling BJD.

The PCC chief Mr Jena, not to be cowed down, rebutted Mr Patnaik’s charge and said the Congress fought whole -heartedly in the elections.

He even claimed that the party would get “thumping majority” in the 147-member state Assembly and form the next government.

“The Congress has done well in the elections and you will see that we will form the next government in Odisha. Those who were sounding pessimistic will get to see that people have preferred the Congress to the ruling BJD,” asserted Mr Jena.

Known for their long years of rivalry, the two Congress leaders hailing from Keonjhar district have been at daggers drawn ever since Mr Jena replaced Mr Patnaik as the PCC chief just a few months before the elections.

Both the leaders campaigned separately for the party’s Lok Sabha and Assembly candidates.

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BJP forecasts total rout of Congress in Odisha

BY OUR CORRESPONDENT

Bhubaneswar, April 14: The BJP on Monday said the Congress in Odisha would be wiped out in the ongoing elections and the party claimed that it would form the next government in the state by getting a clear majority.

“We are pretty sure that the NDA will form the government at the Centre under the leadership of Narendra Modi. Similarly, Odisha will witness unexpected results in the assembly elections. The Congress will be wiped out in the state and BJP will emerge as the number one party after the elections,” BJP central leader Arun Singh said at a press conference here.

He also said even if the BJD gets a few MP seats, the people of the state would not benefit as the regional party wants instability at the Centre.

Condemning the attack on the family members of the Congress candidate from Jeypore assembly seat, Taraprasad Bahinipati, - BJP leader Bhrugu Baxipatra who was also present at the press meet, - demanded the resignation and immediate arrest of senior BJD leader and school and mass education minister Rabinarayan Nanda for his alleged involvement in the attack.

Sonia to visit Odisha on Saturday, Sushma on April 10

BY RATIKANT MOHANTY

Bhubaneswar, April 3: All India Congress Committee president Sonia Gandhi will visit Odisha on April 5 and 10 to campaign for her party’s candidates in the state.

According to Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee president Jayadev Jena, Mrs Gandhi will on Saturday address an election rally at Khariar in Nuapada district which goes to polls in the first phase on April 10.

She will again return to the state on April 10 to canvas for the party nominees on in coastal Odisha where elections will be held on April 17.

Sources in the state BJP unit said party stalwart and Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj will visit Odisha on April 10 to campaign for her party candidates for the second phase of elections in the state on April 17.

Speaking to reporters here, BJP national general secretary Dharmendra Pradhan said Ms Swaraj will campaign for party candidates in the coastal and northern districts which will go to polls on April 17.

Mr Pradhan, however, said the detail itinerary were yet to be worked out.

“As soon as  Ms Swaraj’s campaign schedule for Odisha is finalized, we will let you know,” said Mr Pradhan.