Anubhav Mohanty campaigns for the BJD in Cuttack. Picture by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, Jan. 31: In their fight for supremacy in the Municipal corporation elections, the Congress and the BJP are trying to woo voters with some interesting assurances in various wards.

However, the BJD has chosen to focus only on its achievements in the civic front, which have purportedly paved the way for a development process in the city.

The Congress is promising to waive 50 per cent of holding tax. In its election manifesto, the party has promised to supply two mosquito nets to each family, while vowing to rid the city of the mosquito menace.

The BJP, on the other hand, is promising subsidised meals at Rs 7 at “janata bhojanalayas” run by the corporation in various parts of the city. The saffron party also promises to make the city mosquito free by constituting an expert committee and special cell for it.

City Congress committee president Md Moquim is trying to highlight that “the last BJD-ruled municipal council was a failure and they flopped on all fronts — sanitation, road condition, drainage and mosquito control”.

The BJD is making the mega Japan International Cooperation Agency project under implementation for construction of a drainage system in the city an issue during the campaign. The party is also making the project for water supply augmentation a campaign issue.

In their manifestos, the Congress has assured to provide rehabilitation to slum-dwellers before evacuation and the BJP, a slum-free city.

BJD leader and Choudwar Cuttack MLA Pravat Ranjan Biswal said: “Work for making the city slum-free has already started.” It is also banking on chief minister Naveen Patnaik’s charisma.

Ministers Prasanna Acharya, Bikram Kesari Arukh, Debi Prasad Mishra, Usha Devi, Pratap Deb, BJD MPd Bhatruhari Mahtab and Sashi Bhusan Behera are monitoring the campaign process.

The party has also roped in movie stars to woo voters. Filmstar-turned-BJD member Anubhav Mohanty has already hit the campaign trail.