Bhubaneswar: Branding the BJP government in Odisha as incompetent, Biju Janata Dal (BJD) president Naveen Patnaik on Friday alleged that the ruling party’s ‘double-engine’ dispensation had tarnished the state’s image through failures in all spheres.
The former chief minister was addressing a public meeting in North Bhubaneswar assembly constituency as part of BJD’s annual ‘Jan Sampark Pada Yatra’, which began on October 2 on the occasion of Gandhi Jayanti.
Claiming that Odisha had emerged as a model state for rapid development during the BJD’s tenure from 2000 to 2024, the Leader of Opposition (LoP) alleged that of the BJP government has failed miserably to sustain that progress.
The “incompetent double-engine government” had completely tarnished the state’s image in just two-and-a-half years because of its series of failures, the BJD chief alleged.
“I urge you all to take this message of the ‘double-engine’ government’s failures to every household and raise public awareness about the issues,” said Naveen.
Paying tribute to Utkalmani Pandit Gopabandhu Das on his 149th birth anniversary, he said the BJD believed in service and development.
On October 2, while launching the party’s mass outreach programme, Patnaik had accused the BJP government of protecting the interests of mine owners instead of fighting for people’s rights.
He had also opposed the Mines and Minerals (Development and Regulation) Amendment Act, 2026, claiming that it deprived the state of its rights over mineral-bearing land.
The BJD has opposed the legislation, alleging that it would deprive the state of Rs 1 lakh crore in revenue from levies on mine owners.
The regional party has been demanding its repeal and had organised a massive rally in Bhubaneswar during the monsoon session of the state Assembly.
While Patnaik has attended the padyatra twice so far, BJD leaders have been marching across the state to raise awareness about the alleged failures of the BJP government led by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi.
Apart from opposing the new mining law, BJD leaders are highlighting alleged large-scale errors in school textbooks, alleged deletion of over 27 lakh eligible voters from electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), and law-and-order issues.