Odisha Chief Minister Patnaik to Embark on Campaign in Specially-Equipped Buses

Odisha's Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik gears up for election campaign with two specially designed buses, equipped with bed, conference hall, and VSAT for communication. The buses, costing Rs 1 crore each, will support Patnaik's 36 rallies amidst heatwave conditions. The buses feature the party's symbol, the chief minister's photo, and prominent party members, echoing similar arrangements from the 2019 elections.

The ruling BJD in Odisha has readied two specially-designed buses for Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to tour the state during the campaign trail, party leaders said on Thursday.

Patnaik, who kicked off the party's campaign from his home turf Hinjili in Ganjam district on Wednesday, is slated to address 36 rallies across the 21 Lok Sabha constituencies in the state amid the ongoing heatwave conditions, they said.

Odisha will vote for its 147-member assembly along with the 21 Lok Sabha seats in four phases, starting May 13.

The air-conditioned buses, which cost around Rs 1 crore each, have hydraulic lift, bed, sofa set, audio-visual system, washroom, conference hall and VSAT facility for communication.

''During roadshows, with the help of the hydraulic lift, Patnaik can get out of the sunroof and address the people,'' a party leader said.

Along with BJD's election symbol 'conch' and photo of the chief minister, the customised vehicles display the photos of former CM Biju Patnaik, and party leaders VK Pandian and Pranab Prakash Das prominently.

BJD had made similar arrangements during the 2019 elections as well.