Balipada, Feb. 14: The small weekly village haat in Govindpur gram panchayat of Kantapada block in Cuttack district was buzzing with excitement today when Odia film stars reached here to campaign for Independent candidate Prashant Mohanty aka Jhallia Bhai for the panchayat poll.
While the BJD has roped in all the big names among film stars for campaigning, those who have not joined the BJD today chose to campaign here for Independent candidates. The election to the gram panchayat will be held on February 17.
As soon as the film stars reached the haat, people from all corners of Govindpur village - which has traditionally been considered a BJD bastion - flocked to the weekly market to catch a glimpse of them. The small-time traders of the haat also rushed to hear what all the film stars had to say, leaving their work behind. Film stars Amulya Patnaik, Debidatta Barik, Leena and Sabita, visited the Govindpur haat today.
Asked why they had joined the campaign, Debidatta Barik said: "We film stars are part of society. We joined the campaign to tell people that they should elect the right candidates. We are campaigning here for Jhallia Bhai whose son is a major in the Indian Army and is busy protecting our motherland. It is our duty to support him. We are not taking any money for this."
As soon as Barik completed his speech, the villagers rushed to shake hands with the actors.
"We have watched them in various films and serials. We are happy to see them in person here," said Bachhana Mallick.
Even though the sarpanch seats are not contested on the party lines, people have a fair idea about the candidates whom the major parties are backing.
The BJP, which has not been able to make substantial inroads in the coastal belt yet, is now slowly gaining ground. BJP flags were noticed in many villages in Govindpur and other parts of Niali Assembly constituency.
While there is a fair chance that many Independent candidates will do well in the sarpanch election, the BJD is going to face a tough fight from the BJP for the first time in the zilla parishad elections. The Congress is also making all-out efforts to make its presence felt in the state.
"We will not reveal who we are going to vote for. We will follow certain criteria in selecting the candidates. For the sarpanch, we will elect a candidate who is honest and can do something good for the villages. But for the zilla parishad, we will pick the party candidates. However, I cannot reveal who I am going to vote for," said tomato seller Bhibhu Das.
As soon as the road show ended at Govindpur, the film stars moved to another village. "It is really a good experience to be part of the panchayat poll campaign. My suggestion to people is that they should exercise their voting rights and take part in the election process," said one actor.
