Friday, Apr 26, 2024 | Last Update : 03:34 AM IST
Amit Shah hits out at Naveen Patnaik for under-developed Odisha
Shah said chief minister Naveen Patnaik had failed to develop the state in 17 years of being in power.
Jajpur(Odisha): BJP national president Amit Shah slammed the Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government in Odisha on Tuesday for poverty and backwardness of the state. He vowed to make the state the country’s Number One province in terms of development if voted to power in the 2019 elections.
Addressing a mass gathering of party workers at Panikoili, on the second day of his three-day campaign in Odisha to strengthen the party at the grassroots level, Mr Shah said chief minister Naveen Patnaik had failed to develop the state in 17 years of being in power.
“Look at the BJP-ruled states like Chhattisgarh, Madhyapradesh, Jharkhand and Maharashtra. You will find development is at its peak in these states. The BJP will change the fate of Odisha in five years if it comes to power,” Mr Shah said.
Saying that there was no dearth of water and minerals in the state, the BJP president said that the state was lagging behind “much because the political administrators here lacked vision and will to carry it on the path of progress”. “Odisha is also one of the states with the largest-growing youth population, but it is still far behind in terms of development,” Mr Shah said. Mr Shah also praised party workers, and said that work towards winning 120 seats has begun and that the party would oust the BJD government in the 2019 polls.
Hitting out at the state government, Mr Shah listed the funds the Centre has so far given to the state under various heads and said the BJD failed in utilising them.
Earlier on Wednesday morning, Mr Shah visited Binjharpur and held talks with five villagers, followed by lunch at the house of Debananda Mallick, a dalit sarapanch. Thereafter, he addressed a meeting at Areie, which was attended by Union ministers Jual Oram and Dharmendra Pradhan.
On the way to Jajpur, Mr Shah was extended warm welcome at Chhattia, Barchandan, Chandikhol, Neulpur, Nalipur, Baruanh and Jajpur town. In Jajpur town, he also offered prayers at Biraja temple.
