Poll Bugle: JP Nadda’s Signals Change In BJP Stance For Odisha, Calls BJD ‘One-Man’ Party

Bhubaneswar: BJP national president JP Nadda signalled an aggressive posture towards Odisha on Thursday even as he castigated the Naveen Patnaik government for its failures and hoped to see lotus bloom in the state after the 2024 elections.

Since the 2019 polls, BJP central leaders had refrained from criticising the BJD government, which had time and again extended support to the NDA government at the Centre on several contentious issues. The Karyakarta Sammelan here, however, saw Nadda unveiling a new roadmap for Odisha.

“We are a national party with regional aspiration. We are a cadre-based party with a mass following. Since 2019, we formed governments in maximum states. From Jammu and Kashmir to West Bengal, we have been fighting against dynasty-based parties,” he said.

All major national parties have collapsed and regional parties have started mushrooming across the country, he added.

While recalling the contribution of stalwarts of Odisha Madhusudan Das, Gopabandhu Das and Buxi Jagabandhu, the BJP chief stressed that dynastic politics is also prevalent in Odisha with the presence of BJD. “Even Odisha has a one-man party. BJP is the only party that is not family-based and is driven by ideology,” he added.

He said that the Naveen Patnaik-led government in the state is riddled with corruption. “Here protectors are perpetrators. At least three ministers were involved in murder cases. The governance in the state can well be imagined from this. Ailing women are being carried to hospitals on bicycles. The state government has failed to provide ambulance service to people,” he said.

The BJP chief also caused the BJD government of misbranding the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY) of the Union government by pasting the logo of Biju Pucca Ghar Yojana of Odisha on the newly-built houses. “It’s time to uproot this government because of which over 60 lakh people in Odisha are deprived of Ayushman Bharat Yojana. Fake bills are being made here for MGNREGS. Odisha also needs a double-engine government,” he said while listing out the achievement of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government at the Centre.

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Nadda further said that even Ratna Bhandar of Lord Jagannath is not safe under the BJD rule in Odisha. “Ratna Bhandar’s key was missing and later a duplicate key was found. Uproot this type of ‘duplicate’ government and bring BJP to power in Odisha,” he exhorted the gathering at Janata Maidan here.

He added that the first tribal President Droupadi Murmu is from Odisha and more than 15 from the state have been conferred with Padma awards. “This was never the case during the UPA government and shows PM Modis’s immense love for the state,” he added.

“The Centre has granted 20.5 lakh concrete houses to Odisha. Steps have been taken to provide electricity to 14.5 lakh houses in the state. At least 4.40 lakh Odia youths have been given loans. Around 4 lakh farmers have been provided assistance under the PM Kisan scheme. Altogether 87 Ekalabya Schools are being set up in Odisha,” he further claimed.

This is his first visit to the state after assuming charge as BJP chief in 2000.

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