Bhubaneswar: Stepping up their attack on BJD ahead of 2024 elections, both Congress and BJP on Wednesday claimed that the Naveen Patnaik-led party will perform miserably in western Odisha as it has all along neglected the region.
Senior leaders of the two opposition parties lashed out the state government after senior BJD leader and former Minister Susanta Singh claimed that the ruling party is poised to win at least 31 Assembly and five Lok Sabha seats in western Odisha in next polls. Singh, whose supporters were unhappy after he was not included in the cabinet during recent expansion, claimed that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has asked him to strengthen the party organisation in western Odisha districts.
After the BJD leader’s statement, Odisha Pradesh Congress Committee (OPCC) president Sarat Pattanayak claimed that Biju Janata Dal (BJD) is bound to present a dismal show in the Assembly and Lok Sabha elections due next year.
Accusing the BJD government of all along neglecting western Odisha, he said the regional party will face an uphill task to win elections in the region.
Though Western Odisha Development Council (WODC) was set up, its headquarters is located in Bhubaneswar, the PCC chief said, adding that its headquarters should be located somewhere in the western region to ensure proper work.
Asserting that a Congress is all set to bounce back in 2024 polls, Pattanayak said the party which has now nine seats in the Assembly will raise the number of its MLAs to at least 90 in the 147-member legislature.
Congress will definitely form the government in Odisha as the people of Odisha will reject BJD as they are fed up with its misrule, the PCC chief claimed.
Expressing similar views, senior BJP leader and former MLA Pradip Purohit, claimed that Susanta Singh’s statement about BJD sweeping the polls in western Odisha seemed to have come out of his fear.
Singh has made tall claims about BJD winning many seats in western Odisha to please top party leaders of the ‘third floor,’ he claimed, adding that the Bhatli MLA should first try to tackle his own frustration. In fact, Singh getting a BJD ticket in 2024 elections has become doubtful after his supporters vented their anger over denial of ministerial berth to him, Purohit claimed.
Therefore, Singh is scared and trying to placate top BJD leaders by making tall claims to save his political career, the BJP leader claimed.
While the popularity of BJP under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi is increasing all over Odisha, particularly the western region, BJD’s base is crumbling because of poor governance, Purohit claimed, adding that people of western Odisha have made up their mind to reject BJP in the next elections.
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