High-flying pilot takes to streets: BJD's Manmath Routhray holds Bullock cart roadshow in Bhubaneswar
May 02, 2024
Khordha (Odisha) [India], May 3 : Biju Janata Dal's Lok Sabha candidate Manmath Routhray took to the streets of Odisha's Bhubaneswar on Thursday in a decorated bullock cart for his election campaign.
Amidst cheers and applause from thousands of supporters, Routhray's procession brought a wave of enthusiasm. 
A seasoned pilot by profession, Routhray's unconventional campaigning captured the attention of the people of Bhubaneswar.
Speaking to ANI, the BJD leader said that he would keep his promises made to the public.
"I am receiving so much love and support from the public. I just want to say that I will never break my promises made to them," Routhray said.
He also filed his nomination papers from Bhubaneshwar.
Manmath Routray resigned as a pilot of Air India in January.
Routray is the son of six-time Odisha Congress MLA Suresh Routray who recently resigned from all committees of his party, soon after Routray joined the ruling BJD and was named as its candidate for the Bhubaneswar Lok Sabha constituency.
Like in 2019, the simultaneous elections in Odisha this time will be held in four phases, with the only difference this time being that the state will vote in the last four of the seven phases, unlike last time when it voted in the first four phases.
During the 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, BJD under the leadership of Naveen Patnaik won 12 of the 21 seats. The BJP won eight seats and Congress got one seat.
The BJD swept the Odisha assembly polls in 2019, winning 112 seats. BJP won 23 seats and Congress nine seats.
