Bhubaneswar: BJP national vice-president and Odisha in-charge D Purandeswari on Saturday said the party was prepared for the upcoming panchayat and urban local body elections and stressed the need for stronger coordination between the government and the organisation.
Purandeswari, who has taken charge as the party’s Odisha in-charge for the second time, arrived here along with co-in-charge Swadesh Singh and said the BJP would focus on strengthening its grassroots network ahead of the polls.
“All are ready for the polls. With the blessings of the people and cooperation among the party leaders, the BJP will certainly perform better in the elections,” she told reporters after arriving at the Biju Patnaik International Airport.
She said ensuring effective coordination between the state government and the party organisation would be among her key priorities, while urging leaders and workers to further consolidate the BJP’s presence at the grassroots.
Later, Purandeswari and Singh attended a meeting at the BJP state headquarters chaired by state president Manmohan Samal. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, district presidents, frontal organisation leaders and other office-bearers participated in the meeting.
State BJP general secretary Biranchi Narayan Tripathy said the discussions covered organisational activities, future programmes and preparations for the panchayat and municipal elections scheduled for early next year.
The meeting also reviewed service-oriented programmes conducted under the month-long ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’, which began on September 17, the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said.
Tripathy said the party also discussed plans for programmes scheduled to continue until October 17.
A nationwide ‘Seva Jyoti’ programme will be organised on October 7 to mark Modi completing 25 years in public life, including his tenure as Gujarat chief minister and as prime minister, he said.
The programme will be held across all 30 districts of Odisha, with a detailed plan for its organisation finalised at Saturday’s meeting, Tripathy added.
Purandeswari later attended an ‘Angan Ki Utsav’ programme at an anganwadi centre in the city as part of the BJP’s ‘Seva Sankalp Abhiyan’.
The BJD currently holds more than 80 per cent of the zilla parishad and urban local body seats in Odisha.
