“I have my roots here and I work for the development of the people of this constituency. I am with the people of Puri whether I am an MP or not,” says Mishra.
However, firebrand local BJP leader and the party's candidate for the seat, Ashok Sahu has dubbed both Mishra and Sucharita as “Delhi-wallahs” who have come here just to seek votes.
Sahu is banking on the Narendra Modi wave and is confident about winning the seat.
“As people across the country want to make Modi the Prime Minister, they will vote for the lotus (BJP) symbol here as well,” Sahu said.
Interestingly, cutting across party lines, the candidates and their leaders began their poll campaigns here after paying obeisance at the temple here. From Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to BJP's Prime Minister candidate Modi, the leaders during their rallies invoked the name of Lord Jagannath.
“Though I was born in the land of Lord Somnath, I will like to serve the people of Jagannath Dham (Puri),” Modi had said during poll rallies in Odisha.
BJP has also tried to woo voters here saying the Gujarat Chief Minister organises a Rath Yatra in Ahmedabad every year as he is a great devotee of the Lord.
Patnaik, who is aware of the place Lord Jagannath holds in the hearts of the people of Odisha, uses the word “Mahaprabhu” (the Lord) in his party's election advertisement.
BJD candidate Mishra, Congress's Sucharita and BJP's Sahu, had also started their respective campaigns after offering prayers at the Jagannath temple.
