BIJEPUR: A day after a man threw slippers at Naveen Patnaik on his maiden campaign trail for the ensuing Bijepur bypoll in Barpali, the chief minister is going ahead with marathon rallies in the area on Wednesday.Patnaik will address several public meetings in Gaisilat and Bijepur block of the assembly seat from dawn to dusk for the ensuing bypoll scheduled on Saturday.On Tuesday, a man, who later identified himself as Kartik Meher, hurled a pair of slippers targeting Naveen just when he was getting ready to address an election rally at Kumbhari village.While one missed the CM, a security officer shielded Naveen from facing the other. Naveen did not complete his address there but went ahead with another meeting at nearby Agalpur village seeking vote for his party candidate Rita Sahu. BJD supporters standing nearby pounced on the man, injuring him on his head, before police took custody of him. Police said he is a native of Budhapali village near Padampur which is not part of Bijepur assembly seat. Meher said three men inspired him to carry out the attack but declined to name them. He told a pestering media that he first needed to eat.The BJD alleged it was handiwork of a desperate BJP which foresees imminent defeat in the bypoll.“The BJP has resorted to dirty tactics. It is jittery after witnessing huge turnout in Naveen’s meetings and poor crowds in the joint rallies of Union ministers Smriti Irani and Dharmendra Pradhan the same day,” said BJD spokesperson and Rajya Sabha member Pratap Keshari Deb. Smriti and Dharmendra addressed three rallies canvassing for BJP candidate Ashok Panigrahi at Gaisilat, Bijepur and Barpali.BJP distanced itself from the incident. Party’s state unit president Basanta Panda, who was also campaigning in Bijepur, condemned it and said, “Whoever has done is unacceptable. I condemn it with the strongest possible words. But it can’t be disputed that it’s a reflection of people’s growing anger on Naveen because of his misrule in past 18 years.”A woman had hurled eggs at Naveen at a public event in Balasore district on January 31. Police had initially booked her for murder. The CM later directed police to drop all charges against her.After landing at Barpali township in the assembly segment for a two-day campaign for the bypoll that seems to be pushing both BJP and BJD to their limits, Naveen addressed a public meeting at Bargaon and later hit the road. Crowds thronged both sides of the 6-km stretch from Barpali to Kumbhari, to see the four-time CM up close.Women dressed in colourful Sambalpuri sarees seemed particularly curious to get glimpse of the leader. Naveen reciprocated by greeting them with “juhar” and allowed youngsters to click his photos from close distances.“I saw Naveen from this close” said Banita, a homemaker from Remta village, sticking out her hand in front of her face. People in large numbers also climbed onto the roofs to get a glimpse of Naveen show.Naveen frequently referred to “popular” Congress MLA Subal Sahu whose death necessitated the bypoll on February 24, during his brief stopovers on his way. The BJD has fielded his wife Rita Sahu.

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