Bring BJP to Power in Odisha, says Amit Shah

Bhubaneswar: Union home minister Amit Shah on Saturday called upon party workers to strengthen the organisation at the grassroots in the state and raise issues of corruption against the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

Mr Shah, who was on a two-day official visit to the state to inaugurate a host of National Highway projects, interacted phase-wise with the party’s lawmakers, office-bearers and workers in the evening after his official engagements and instructed them to be battle-ready for 2024 Lok Sabha and assembly polls in the state.

“Amit ji interacted with the BJP state leaders, MPs, MLAs and workers separately here at the party headquarters. He exhorted all the BJP leaders of the state to reach out to the people with the message of good governance of the Narendra Modi government. Besides, he also called upon the party workers to hold protest rallies against the people’s plights arising out of misrule of the Naveen Patnaik government and irregularities,” BJP state president Manmohan Samal said.

Mr Samal said that his party workers would intensify their activities so as to defeat the ruling BJD in the coming polls and form its own government in the state.

Earlier, after laying the foundation a number of National Highway projects, the home minister had a closed-door meeting with the CM Naveen Patnaik. Though it was not immediately known as to what the  two leaders discussed during their 10-minute meeting, sources said they debated on the strategic cooperation between the BJP and BJD.

Although the BJD and BJP are immediate political rivals in Odisha, the former has always stood by the saffron party in passing crucial pieces of legislation in the Parliament, besides supporting NDA nominees for the post of President of India, Vice President, Speaker of the Lok Sabha and Deputy Chairperson of Rajya Sabha.