Bhubaneswar: Ridiculing BJD for seeking to play ‘woman card’ for Dhamnagar bypoll, Odisha’s Leader of Opposition Jayanarayan Mishra on Thursday claimed that the Naveen Patnaik-led party has been using government machinery and money and muscle power in all elections.
Describing women and men as supplementary and complimentary to each other, the BJP stalwart said in our society women are highly respected and treated like Goddess Durga, Saraswati and Mahalaxmi.
Therefore, it is of no meaning if someone tries to play gender card, Mishra told reporters while responding to queries about the BIju Janata Dal (BJD) seeking to use the woman card by fielding Tihidi block chairperson Abanti Das for November 3 by-election in Dhamnagar Assembly constituency in Bhadrak district.
The firebrand BJP leader sought to know as to why there are attempts to differentiate between women and men.
On the modus operandi adopted by the ruling BJD in elections, Mishra alleged that the party has all along been misusing government machinery as well as money and muscle power. “Despite all these, the party has not been able to achieve the desired result,” he claimed.
Dubbing BJD as a political party in which the most incapable people are considered as the most qualified and get rewarded, he said people with no qualification and abilities have been made ministers in Naveen government.
However, BJP does not bank on the weakness of others and use it as its strength, though other parties will definitely try to take advantage this. “We do not consider the weakness of others as our strength. Our strength may be others’ weakness,” Mishra said.
Asserting that BJP has strengthened its organisation at block, ward, panchayat and village level in Dhamnagar, the firebrand leader said Union Ministers hailing from Odisha will campaign for the bypoll and the party will not depend on leaders from outside the state.
Claiming that BJP is all set to retain the seat with huge margin, he said BJD and Congress should wait for announcement of results instead of making tall claims.
On price rise, the BJP stalwart said in a federal structure both the central and state governments have responsibilities. It is the responsibility of the state government to control the rising prices of vegetable and food items.
