Biju Janata Dal president and Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik has asked his party leaders to expose the Opposition’s lies and highlight the various welfare plans and programmes of the state government while campaigning for the party’s candidate in the panchayat elections.

Campaigning for the five-phase rural polls is underway across the state. Polling is scheduled to begin from February 16.

Urging party colleagues to abide by the Covid guidelines, Naveen asked them to reach out to the people and make all out effort to expose the Opposition’s misinformation campaign against the government’s different welfare plans.

“You should reach out to the people and give a befitting reply to the lies of the Opposition,” said Patnaik while interacting with senior leaders of the party on Saturday about the strategy the party needs to follow to win the panchayat elections.

He asked the BJD leaders to highlight his government’s welfare programmes, particularly the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana cards which played a pivotal role in bringing about a paradigm shift in health services.

Stating that the state has fought well against the Covid pandemic, Naveen pointed out that his government has put extra emphasis on the livelihood of the people.

“During this pandemic, loan assistance of Rs. 10,000 crore was given to women of Mission Shakti without any interest. Lakhs of landless farmers have been given assistance under Kalia Yojana,” Naveen said.

Naveen said the state continued to do well in various fields including education, irrigation, industrialisation and development of the Scheduled Castes and Tribes.

“People’s blessings are with the BJD. But the Opposition will stick to its misinformation campaign and use lies as a weapon. All you need to do is to seek people’s blessing by highlighting the government’s different welfare schemes,” Naveen said.