Odisha Chief Minister and BJD chief Naveen Patnaik on Thursday gave clear hints that the party will be part of the proposed non-Congress and non-BJP third alternative in the 2014 elections.
“Neither the Congress nor the BJP can give a stable government at the Centre as they have lost the confidence of the people,” Patnaik said while addressing the party leaders and workers at the 17th foundation day celebrations of the BJD at the party headquarters here.
Corruption of the Congress and communal politics of the BJP have weakened the country, Patnaik said and added that the a transparent, stable and secular government can fulfil the aspirations of the people and is the only alternative before the country.
Stating that the BJD is looking forward to such a possibility, the chief minister asked party leaders and workers to work hard so that the party can win more Lok Sabha and assembly seats in the 2014 elections. By winning more seats, the party will be more strong at the Centre and fight for the interest of the state, he said.
The chief minister said that the BJD has won three consecutive Assembly elections in the state, but there is no room for complacency.
“We must keep working hard to fulfil the aspirations of the four crore people of Odisha,” he said.
Stating that winning elections is not an end in itself, Patnaik said it is a means to fulfil the aspirations of the people.
“I shall keep working for the people of the state whether there is somebody with me or not,” he said.
Addressing the function, finance minister Prasanna Acharya said that the BJD will play a key role in government formation at the Centre in 2014 elections.
Parliamentary affairs minister Kalpataru Das said that the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Government has stability and a transparent administration during the last 14 years.
Former finance minister Prafulla Chandra Ghadei expressed surprise at critics claiming that the state had not made much progress during the Biju Janata Dal regime.
He said that while the total plan outlay stood at `2,100 crore when Naveen Patnaik assumed charge as the Chief Minister, it had now reached `21,000 crore adding that the state’s growth rate, at 9.8 per cent, had been much higher than the national average.
Senior party leaders, ministers, MLAs, MPs and party workers gathered at the party headquarters in large numbers to celebrate the party’s 17th foundation day celebrations.