KalingaTimes Correspondent
Cuttack, Nov. 15: A powerful sandstorm hit a massive rally organised by the youth wing of ruling Biju Janata Dal at the Bali Yatra Ground in this millennium city of Odisha on Sunday afternoon.

At least three persons were injured when the tents came crashing down under the impact of the sandstorm, a rare occurrence during winter season. One person was also killed in an accident later while returning home after attending the rally.

The incident took place at around 3-10 pm when thousands of activists of the Biju Yuva Janata Dal (BYJD) attending the convention were having their lunch outside the tents. The strom destroyed the temporary structure just within four minutes.

There were about 60 activists inside the tents when the sandstorm played the villain and spoiled the show of youth power of the ruling party.

Chief Minister and party president Naveen Patnaik and several senior leaders had left the venue just about 10 minutes before the storm.

State Food Supply & Consumer Welfare and party leader Sarada Prasad Nayak and other youth leaders were on the dais and were readying for the afternoon session of the convention when the storm shattered the show.

The rally was attended by over 20000 youths working for the party. They ran helter-skelter when the sandstorm engulfed the venue and the event was closed immediately.

Earlier, addressing the gathering Patnaik and several other leaders of the party thanked the youth gathered there for helping the BJD win the last simultaneously Lok Sabha and Assembly elections earlier this year.

The leaders also urged the youths to work for the party and make its ready for the elections in the future.

Critics, however, were of the view that the party organised the youth rally in an attempt to save its image before the public in the wake of the unearthing of the illegal mining scam and frequent farmer suicides in different parts of the state.