AAP to focus on illegal mining, corruption in Odisha

Bhubaneswar, March 24 (IANS) Illegal mining and corruption are some of the issues which are likely to find place in the Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) manifesto for the Lok Sabha and assembly elections in Odisha, a senior state leader said Monday.

AAP state convenor Nishikanta Mohapatra said his party has sought feedback from the local units in order to give final shape to the manifesto.

"The mining scam and corruption are the main issues. Besides, the issues of agriculture, health, education, unemployment, law and order and Jan Lokpal will also find place," said Mohapatra adding that his party may release its manifesto next week.

A commission which probed illegal mining in Odisha has exposed a scam of Rs.60,000 crore. "This money could have been utilised, at least one crore rupees in each of the state's 52,000 villages and towns," Mohapatra told IANS.

The elections for the 21 Lok Sabha seats and the 147-member assembly would be held simultaneously in Odisha April 10 and 17. AAP has so far announced candidates for 19 Lok Sabha and 112 assembly seats.

"We have a good prospect in six Lok Sabha constituencies. They are Bargarh, Kalahandi, Dhenkanal, Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, and Berhampur," he said.

Although, a strong anti-incumbency mood is prevailing across the state against the government led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, the opposition parties are not in a position to encash it, Mohapatra added.

The legislature party leader of the main opposition Congress joined the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) recently and people do not even trust the Bharatiya Janata Party because it was the coalition partner of the BJD for 11 years, he said.

"The AAP is emerging. It is in a rocky status but if people come around, there will be a drastic change," Mohapatra said.

"People are supporting our party but how to scale up further with limited financial resources is a challenge," he added.