Bhubaneswar: Newly-appointed BJP’s Odisha in-charge Sunil Bansal arrived at the Biju Patnaik International Airport in Bhubaneswar on Monday afternoon.
He was received by state BJP president Samir Mohanty, national vice president Baijayant Panda and Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi, among others, at the airport. Thereafter, he went straight to BJP party headquarters, sources said.
During his two-day visit, he is scheduled to attend a training session of party cadres in Puri and meet senior party leaders. He is also likely to meet party’s MPs and MLAs separately to discuss the roadmap for the 2024 general elections, the sources added.
This is Bansal’s maiden visit to the state after he was given the responsibility of party’s prabhari for Odisha as well as West Bengal and Telangana last month. It comes close on the heels of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s tour in August, which kickstarted BJP’s preparations for ‘Mission 120+’ for 2024 in Odisha, which has so far bucked the Narendra Modi wave.
Also Read: After Amit Shah’s Visit, Odisha BJP Gets New Prabhari
His appointment was seen as a move by BJP to strengthen the party apparatus in these states, which are being ruled by regional parties, ahead of the 2024 elections. He had played a key role in BJP’s electoral success in Uttar Pradesh since 2014 Lok Sabha polls to this year’s assembly polls.
And this visit assumes significance since Odisha is one of the focused states of BJP central leadership.
Later this month, BJP national president J P Nadda and national general secretary (Organisation) B L Santosh are also scheduled to travel to Odisha.
