BIJEPUR: The Bijepur assembly segment saw two charismatic political leaders - chief minister Naveen Patnaik and Union textiles minister Smriti Irani - taking on each other on Tuesday. The two leaders hit the campaign trail for the first time in a seat that will go to the polls on Saturday.In this land of the Sambalpuri saree, both Naveen and Smriti had weavers' plight on their lips, even as their parties - BJD and BJP respectively - are desperately trying to woo the weavers' community that dominates the assembly segment. Once a Congress bastion, Bijepur is now expected to see a direct clash between BJD and BJP. Political analysts believe the result of the byelection might foreshadow that of the assembly election of 2019. In any case, it will reflect the mood on the ground.Addressing a public meeting held on Bargaon field in Barpali - the biggest cluster of the world-famous Sambalpuri handloom - Naveen said, "The weavers here have made the state proud. The Centre imposed 18% GST on handloom. It was only after the state opposed the tax that it was reduced to five per cent. We want complete a tax waiver for handloom."Accompanying Naveen was Rita Sahu, BJD candidate for the byelection and widow of then sitting Congress MLA Subal Sahu whose death last August necessitated the bypoll. With tears rolling down her cheeks, Rita appealed to the people of her late husband's constituency to vote for her.Taking on Naveen, promise for promise and claim for claim, was BJP leader and Union minister Smriti Irani. Addressing a rally on the college ground here on the same day, she said, "Naveen is fooling people by saying GST on handloom was slashed to five per cent from 18% because of him. The fact is he has never written about or discussed the weavers' problems in the last one-and-a-half years. He is lying."Smriti, who addressed three meetings in Gaisilat, Bijepur and Meherpada in Barpali to seek votes for BJP candidate Ashok Panigrahi, accused Naveen of taking up the weavers' plight keeping only the byelection in mind. "The chief minister does not even know the annual income of weavers here," she said. "I have written more than 30 letters to Naveen regarding weavers' uplift, but hardly got a response. There is a central scheme called Baristha Bunkar Sahayata Yojana, in which the Centre gives 90% assistance for looms, but the state is not seeking funds under it," she further said.Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan, who also campaigned with Smriti, criticized Naveen for taking credit for Rita's political inheritance and avoiding the fact that his party had not won the seat in the last three polls."If you had so much sympathy for Subal Sahu, you should have told other parties to make his widow the unanimous choice," he said.

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