Bhubaneswar, Oct 31 (PTI) Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Monday asserted that development of Dhamnagar, where a by-election will be held on November 3, is his responsibility and five years' work will be completed in 18 months.

Addressing the voters of the Dhamnagar constituency in Bhadrak district virtually, Patnaik who is also the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president urged them to elect a woman from the seat as “mothers work more efficiently”.

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He is obviously referring to BJD nominee Abanti Das, the lone woman among the total five candidates. BJP MLA Bishnu Charan Sethi's death necessitated the by-poll.

“I appeal to the people of Dhamnagar to elect a woman as their MLA. The development of Dhamnagar is my responsibility and we will ensure that five years' work is completed in the next 18 months,” Patnaik said.

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By “18 months”, he apparently referred to the next assembly election in the state which is due in 2024. The 2019 poll was held in April along with the Lok Sabha election.

Patnaik urged people to protect the identity of Dhamnagar as the land of "peace and amity".

His address in the virtual mode was shown on large screens at 13 places in Dhamnagar.

Though BJP's Bishnu Charan Sethi had won the 2019 assembly elections, Patnaik claimed that the people changed their opinion in the recently concluded panchayat and civic polls and voted en-masse for the BJD.

The BJD won all six Zilla Parishad seats and 9 of 11 wards of Dhamnagar Notified Area Council (NAC) in the panchayat and civic polls held in February and April respectively this year.

“I am optimistic that the people will repeat it,” Patnaik said.

It was earlier speculated that Patnaik will go to Dhamnagar for campaigning. He did not hit the campaign trail during by-elections to Balasore, Tirtol, Pipili and Brajarajnagar assembly constituencies held amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The BJD had won all the by-polls held since 2019.

The BJD's official candidate is facing a rebel as its former MLA Rajendra Das is in the fray as an Independent candidate.

Union minister and senior BJP leader Bisheswar Tudu campaigned for party nominee Surbyabanshi Suraj during the day while many senior Congress leaders canvassed for their candidate Baba Harekrushna Sethi.

Meanwhile, Odisha BJP president Samir Mohanty along with others sat on a dharna near the office of the superintendent of police in district headquarters Bhadrak town protesting against the administration's alleged indifference towards allegations of the use of money and government officials in favour of the BJD candidate in Dhamnagar by-poll.

He also alleged that the members of the self-help groups were engaged in distribution of cash to voters in Dhamnagar.

“We have submitted a memorandum along with evidence, but no action was taken,” Mohanty told reporters.

Both BJD and BJP submitted their petitions on this at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) in Bhubaneswar.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)