BHUBANESWAR, Feb 16: Prime Minister Inder Kumar Gujral is likely to campaign in Orissa in favour of the Janata Dal candidates from the state on February 24.According to state Janata Dal general secretary Narendra Kumar Swain, Gujral is scheduled to address four public meetings - at the Kendrapara, Cuttack, Jajpur and Puri Lok Sabha constituencies. Details of the programme are however yet to be finalised.The programmes of other senior leaders of the Janata Dal will be fixed later. Former prime minister H D Deve Gowda, JD president Sharad Yadav and Railway Minister Ram Vilas Paswan are among those likely to campaign for JD candidates in the state.Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Srikant Jena is locked in a triangular contest in the high-profile Kendrapara constituency. Archana Nayak of the Congress and Pravat Samantray of the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) are the other serious contenders.JD candidate Mohan Jena is also facing an uphill task in the Jajpur constituency. State JD president Ashok Das istaking personal interest in the constituency. The Janata Dal had a strong base in the constituency but the split in the party before the elections has jeopardised the chances of the JD candidate. While the Congress has fielded veteran leader Ramchandra Mallik from the constituency, former minister Jagannath Mallik is the BJD candidate.Meanwhile the state Janata Dal has stepped up its campaign in the Aska Lok Sabha constituency where BJD president Naveen Patnaik is seeking renomination. State JD unit president Ashok Das today undertook a whirlwind tour of this South Orissa constituency, addressing as many as three election meetings. Sources said the Janata Dal was also trying to rope in some national leaders to campaign in the Aska constituency in a bid to defeat Naveen Patnaik. Railway Minister Ram Vilas Paswan is likely to address a meeting in the constituency.
