BHUBANESWAR: National spokesperson of BJP and Bhubaneswar MP Aparajita Sarangi on Sunday once again targeted the State leadership of her party after the back-to-back debacle in the panchayat polls followed by the just concluded elections to urban local bodies (ULBs).
“The party has performed miserably in the UPB polls and I accept the defeat. The need of the hour is to strengthen our State leadership. If the State leadership is not strengthened, the same will not be reflected at the grassroots level,” she told mediapersons here on Sunday.
She assailed the ruling BJD for the unabashed use of money and muscle power to win the mandate of the people even after staying in power for more than two decades.
“Why is the BJD so nervous and scared of the Opposition? I would like to know why the ruling party is spending so much money to win elections. This is not good for democracy,” she said.
Since the BJD has been claiming that it is working for the people and providing a good and transparent administration, it should not use money and the administration to earn a victory, she said.
The MP who fielded a political novice Suniti Mund as the mayor candidate of BJP for Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), said Mund has secured over 1.13 lakh votes despite distribution of money by the ruling party. “I happy that BJP’s mayor candidate received over 1.13 lakh popular votes and 10 party corporator candidates won with the blessings of the voters. I also thank the voters for reposing faith in the party,” Sarangi said.
The bureaucrat-turned-politician had also blamed the State BJP leadership for the miserable performance of the party in the three-tier panchayat polls. She had then said the party needs strong leadership in Odisha to win the trust of voters in the upcoming elections. She had advised the party for introspection to improve performance. State BJP president Samir Mohanty did not comment.