BJD starts Padayatra, Congress on silent dharna

BHUBANESWAR: Political parties observed Gandhi Jayanti in different ways on Sunday. The Biju Janata Dal kicked off a padayatra while Congress organised a silent dharna.Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik flagged off the padayatra by the party workers in Ward 36 of the City. A public meeting to mark the occasion was addressed by BJD MPs Pyarimohan Mohapatra, Prasanna Patsani and Mayor Ananta Narayan Jena among others.The padayatra is aimed at bringing the party workers closer to people which, ultimately, will result in better governance, the ruling party said.Meanwhile, led by PCC president Niranjan Patnaik, State Congress started the day with garlanding the statue of father of the nation at Gandhi Park. Thereafter, the party workers staged a silent dharna. Similar events were organised across the districts, the party said.Utkal Bharat Party also observed the day and remembered Mahatma Gandhi and Lal Bahadur Shastri on the occasion.