Sambit Patra Wants ‘Conch’ To Bloom In Puri

Bhubaneswar: BJP spokesperson and the party’s candidate for the Puri Lok Sabha, Sambit Patra, had a foot-in-the-mouth moment on Tuesday when he told mediapersons he has vowed at the feet of Lord Jagannath to make the ‘conch’ bloom in the Pilgrim Town (Puri re Sankha phutiba).

He obviously meant to say that the lotus, the symbol of the BJP, would bloom, but in his enthusiasm to blame the BJD for ’19 years of misrule’ and increasing crime in Puri, Patra uttered ‘conch’, the regional party’s symbol.

Thereafter, BJD supporters ensured that the video of his goof-up went viral.

Soon after he was trolled for the statement, with some even saying he had uttered the truth and the conch will continue to blow in Puri.

Patra, who is known to silence adversaries on television debates, seems to be feeling the pressure of the political battle.

The Pilgrim Town has been in the news after some party leaders had proposed the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to contest the upcoming polls from there. However, the part fielded Patra from the seat.