Bhubaneswar: In the wake of suggestions by several people that Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik should contest the next Assembly polls from Puri, senior Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader Shashi Bhushan Behera on Friday said the party president is capable of winning election from anywhere in the state.
Stating that the people of the state are impressed with the leadership of Naveen, the BJD legislator said the CM can win from any constituency as he is loved by all.
The steps taken by the Chief Minister for the development of the state and welfare of people are acknowledged and recognised by all, he said, adding that Naveen’s popularity has been increasing over the years because of the outstanding performance of his government.
The Chief Minister can contest from any seat in the state and the decision in this regard will be taken by him, the former Minister said. “He is the party president and it is entirely up to him to decide from where he will contest,” he said.
The very fact that some distinguished people want the Chief Minister to contest the election from Puri simply shows their love and affection for him, Behera said. The support for the CM coming from Puri is a reflection of his popularity and the blessings of Lord Jagannath, the BJD MLA said.
Talks about Naveen contesting the Assembly polls from Puri gained pace after senior servitor Ramkrushna Das Mohapatra recently stated that people across party lines will support the CM if he decides to contest the election from the pilgrim town.
Amid a variety of speculations, political analysts are of the opinion that the pilgrim town of Puri has been a traditional stronghold of the ruling BJD though the party lost the Assembly seat to BJP in the 2019 elections.
Ahead of the 2019 elections, the BJD government launched its much talked about KALIA scheme from Puri, while the ongoing Srimandir Heritage Corridor Project occupies a special place among the favourite programmes of the Chief Minister.
