BHUBANESWAR: AS campaigning for the last phase of the polls in the State came to an end, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday accused the ruling BJD of terrorising voters of Kendrapara Parliamentary constituency which will go to poll on April 29.
He alleged that BJD bigwigs and party leaders from across the State are camping in the coastal town and making all efforts to influence the voters. Even attempts were made to terrorise voters as they come to realise that the BJP is getting overwhelming support from the people, Pradhan said. Alleging that the BJD goons have unleashed a reign of terror in the constituency, he said the voters are all prepared to give a benefiting reply to the hooliganism of the ruling party.
Asserting that the voters of Kendrapara will spring a surprise this time by voting for the BJP, the Union Minister said the BJD being nervous is evident from the fact that the amount of time and energy Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is giving for this Parliamentary seat. “If the Chief Minister is so confident of winning this election on the basis of his Government’s performance, why is the BJD concentrating in on one constituency when stakes are equally high for the party in five other Parliamentary seats,” he said.
While the BJP is fighting this election on several issues including development of the State and employment opportutnities for the youth, the Chief Minister has made ‘Central neglect’ as the main issue of the BJD like he did in 2014 elections.
Daring the Chief Minister to present report card of his Government in the last 19 years, the Union Minister sought to know from the BJD chief on the vision of his party for the State for the coming five years.
Dubbing the BJD led State Government as most corrupt, Pradhan said Odisha is at the bottom on all pararameters including infant mortality rate, malnutrition and poverty. “The Chief Minister proved to be a failure despite having a stable government for the last 19 years.”
Slamming the BJD chief for his lack of political will and vision for the state, the BJP leader said Odisha is still underdeveloped as a handful of bureaucrats are ruling and looting it.
Taking a jibe at the Chief Minister for making disparaging remarks against the Narendra Modi led Government at Centre, Pradhan said the former is getting irritated when he hears the two words - Modi and Parivartan (change). But the two things are inevitable now as the people of the State are going for a double engine government both in the State and at the Centre, Pradhan added.