Odisha chief minister and Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik on Monday, coinciding with the Gandhi Jayanti, launched the party’s mass-contact programme, Jan Sampark Yatra, and asked the party workers to take the developmental works to the doorstep of the people.

Launching a blistering attack on the Opposition for misleading the people with wrong information, Naveen said: “Whenever an election is approaching, they are adopting such practice, but are always rejected by the people. The Opposition is anti-development and anti-people. They indulge in such activities because of which the people of the state are rejecting them year after year. The people are aware of their strategy of anti-people and anti-development programmes. They are conspiring against the development. People will not forgive them.”

Naveen cited how the Opposition had opposed the ongoing developmental works around the 12th-century Shree Jagannath Temple and 11th-century Lingaraj Temple. “People will never elect them to power,” he said.

Citing his party’s achievement, Naveen maintained how his government was fighting for the cause of the women including 33 per cent reservation for them. The mass-contact programme that started on Monday will conclude on October 11, the birthday of Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Narayan.

Although the BJD organises Jan Sampark Yatra every year, this year it would focus on ensuring that all the developmental programmes initiated by the government reach the doorsteps of the people and should be properly highlighted. Steps would be taken to bring as many youths as possible to the party’s fold, sources said.

Naveen has asked party functionaries to organise the Jan Sampark Yatra programme in each Assembly constituency of the state. Besides, the party would organise a one-month training programme for its functionaries, starting from October 12.

Naveen has also instructed the party leaders to organise the party’s foundation day celebration on December 26 at the constituency level. On the foundation day, all party leaders would take a pledge to work towards making Odisha a number one state.

On the other hand, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) launched Ghar Ghar Congress on September 25 to reach out to voters and it reached Satya Nagar in Bhubaneswar on Monday. Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) president Sarat Patnaik participated in the padayatra. The mass-contact programme would continue till October 15.

The principal Opposistion, BJP, termed the BJD’s Jan Sampark Yatra as a “Betrayal Yatra”. “They betrayed the people over the years and failed to address the various issues of the people including the farmers over the last 23 years,” said BJP vice-president (Odisha unit) Golak Mohapatra.

Mohapatra said: “Our mass-contact programme is going on in the shape of Meri Mati Mera Desh Programme.”