Bhubaneswar: The BJD will hold a road show from here to Puri to mark its 20th foundation day on December 26.
This party has made a shift from tradition and decided to observe the foundation day in Puri instead of Bhubaneswar.
BJD MLA Samir Ranjan Dash said: "All along the route, the people and workers of the party will greet chief minister Naveen Patnaik who has selflessly served the state for the last 17 years. We have also decided to create 20 theme gates on various success stories to make people aware about what the Naveen Patnaik government is doing for them."
He said: "After reaching Puri, Naveen babu will proceed to the Jagannath temple to seek the blessings of the lord. Later, he will visit Swargadwar to pay his obeisance to our beloved leader and his father Biju babu. After that he will address the meeting of the workers."
Party's general secretary Sanjay Dasburma said: "Grassroots workers of the party across the state will attend the meeting. We will make a presentation on how the government under the leadership of the chief minister has brought a change in Odisha that had been hit by a severe super cyclone. How the state that had been overburdened with loans and not able to give salaries to his employees has changed its economy over the years."
The party that began its journey in 1997 after the demise of its leader Biju Patnaik is now facing a serious threat from the BJP, which had once been its ally for nearly a decade. The alliance had collapsed ahead of the 2009 general elections.
Party sources said the BJD decided to observe its foundation day in Puri as the BJP was focusing on the pilgrim town. Even in October, Union petroleum minister Dharmendra Pradhan had said that the people of Odisha had made up their mind to throw the Naveen Patnaik government into the Bay of Bengal.
"The Nabakalebar of the state government would start from Puri," Pradhan had said.
On Thursday, Pradhan also focused his attention on Puri. He expressed concern over the delay in the execution of the pilgrimage rejuvenation and spiritual augmentation drive (Prasad) scheme.
