Rajya Sabha MP Rudra Narayan Pani rides a bullock cart through Bhubaneswar on Monday. The cart is also carrying a motorbike to highlight the plight of the common man after the fresh petrol price hike. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar, Jan. 17: The BJP, which is trying to revive itself after the 2009 poll debacle, today held a big rally here targeting both the UPA and the state governments.

The rally, described by the BJP as “Bhrastachar Hatao” (remove corruption), highlighted the string of scandals that have rocked the UPA and BJD governments, while BJP president Nitin Gadkari vowed to rout Naveen Patnaik’s BJD from the state.

The rally assumed significance as it comes after the Congress, in its attempt to revive itself, began holding a series of programmes.

The Congress put up an impressive show in the form of a rally at the same venue on December 14.

The BJP, which was the ruling BJD’s poll partner, had virtually been routed in the 2009 Assembly polls. The party managed just six Assembly seats in the 147-member Assembly and drew a blank in the Lok Sabha from Orissa. It became evident from the rally that the party is determined to regain its support base. BJP leaders claimed that representatives from all the 147 Assembly constituencies had attended today’s rally.

Describing 2010 as the “year of scams”, BJP president Nitin Gadkari said the UPA government was indulging in a looting spree and rattled off a list of the major scams, including the 2G spectrum and the Commonwealth Game scandals.

“The Naveen Patnaik government is no less corrupt. Naveen gives the message to the Congress: tum Delhi looto, hum Orissa lootenge (you loot Delhi, we will loot Orissa),” Gadkari said in a lighter vein amidst applaud from the crowd.

Citing instances of corruption charges against the Naveen Patnaik government, the BJP president said Orissa High Court had “indicted” the state in the Vedanta University land acquisition controversy.

The Lok Pal too had pointed out serious irregularities in the matter. The High Court had quashed recommendations made by the state government to lease out Khandadhar mines to Posco. The Supreme Court had expressed its dismay over the NREGS scam, he said.

The party leaders also highlighted the rising prices of essential commodities and especially the frequent petroleum price hikes. “There has been hike in petroleum price seven times during the last six months,” said the BJP chief.

To drive the point home, Rajya Sabha member Rudra Narayan Pani rode a bullock cart with a motorcycle on the top of it.

“Thanks to the frequent petrol price hikes, people cannot ride mobikes in the future,” said Pani.

The BJP, on the other hand, is trying to change the face of the nation, said the party chief. “We believe in development-based politics,” he said.

“The political situation is changing. People have realised that the BJP is the only alternative to the Congress and the BJD. They will send the ruling BJD back home,” said Gadkari, calling upon party cadres to go to villages and spread the party’s policies of nationalism, good governance and development.

BJP state unit president Jual Oram said his party had joined hands with the BJD when the state was passing through crises. “But the BJD betrayed us. We must take political revenge,” said Oram.

There was more trumpet-blowing from the BJP. Party general secretary Dharmendra Pradhan said: “We don’t need anybody’s support.” BJP legislature wing leader and former minister, K.V. Singhdeo urged Gadkari to announce that the BJP would not forge an alliance with the BJD under any circumstances in the future.

Undeterred by the onslaught of the Congress and the BJP, the ruling BJD launched its party’s membership drive. The BJD proposes to enrol at least one member from 80 lakh families in the state.