BHUBANESWAR: As campaigning in Odisha intensified for the last phase polls scheduled on April 29, Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday questioned the Gujarat model of development and asserted that BJP will lose elections this time in the entire country.
Addressing election meetings at Bhadrak, Panikoili and Salipur, the Chief Minister said there was much propaganda and publicity about the Gujarat model of development, but why did BJP win only 99 seats out of the total 182 in 2017 Assembly elections in the State. “The BJP scrapped through in that election,” he said.
Naveen said people had a lot of expectations from the BJP which formed majority Government at the Centre after the 2014 polls, but it has lost their confidence during the last five years for several anti-people decisions. “Poor became poorer because of demonetisation and youths remained unemployed due to the introduction of GST,” he said and added that the Centre did nothing for the farmers because of which the BJP is losing in every election.
Stating that farmers, women, youths, poor, SCs/STs and common people are disappointed with the BJP led Government at the Centre, the Chief Minister said nation building does not happen only through speeches and talks. “Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh and Punjab had double engines, but what happened? Why BJP was defeated in these states?,” he asked.
The Chief Minister alleged that the BJP Government at the Centre is conspiring to drop KALIA scheme launched by the Odisha Government which has so far benefited 40 lakh farmers. “But nobody can stop the scheme till I am alive,” he said and added that all farmers will get Rs 10,000 in two instalments on the first day of the BJD government in the State.
The BJD Government has given women their rights, the Chief Minister said and added that they will get Rs 10 lakh health assurance under the Biju Swathya Kalyan Yojana compared to Rs five lakh under the Central scheme.
Targeting BJP leaders, the Chief Minister said they remember Odisha only during elections and flock to the State to shed crocodile tears, but never come come during floods, cyclones and drought. Naveen urged the people to vote for the BJD candidates for the Lok Sabha and Assembly seats and said, “4.5 crore people of Odisha are my family members and I will remain with you.”
Naveen counters