SAMBALPUR: Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Friday targeted Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for his decision to contest from Kantabanji Assembly segment.
Addressing party workers at Burla where he unveiled the party’s new office, Pradhan said, the Odisha CM had earlier fought from Bijepur and committed that development of the area will be his responsibility.
“Let him publish a white paper on what has been developed in Bijepur in the last five years. Also, before fighting from Kantabanji, let him publish another white paper to reveal how many people from Hinjili have migrated to other states for work,” he said.
Earlier, BJD’s Lok Sabha candidate for Sambalpur Pranab Prakash Das said Odisha took off on the path of development after the regional party severed ties with BJP in 2009.
Das, who resumed campaigning in Sambalpur after a brief gap, said the last 25 years of the state’s development can be divided in two parts – one, between 2000 and 2009 (when BJD-BJP alliance was in power) and second, the 15 years post 2009.
“There is a huge difference between the two phases and it can be vouched by the voters. Odisha’s progress was transformational during the 2009-2024 phase because people reposed faith in Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and backed his decision to go solo in the elections,” said Das who also is the organisational secretary of the BJD.
He said the bouquet of welfare schemes for all sections of the society by the BJD government has been possible because of the popular mandate it received in favour of Naveen. “Odisha matters little to national parties but it means the whole world to Naveen Patnaik,” he said.
Das also took potshots at Union Education Minister and BJP’s Sambalpur candidate Dharmendra Pradhan. Without naming him, he said the region has represented five MPs and a very powerful minister at the Centre but what is their contribution to Sambalpur and western Odisha.
Citing the redevelopment of Samaleswari Temple and school transformation projects in the district, Das asked why the blocks do not have Kendriya Vidyalayas despite the representation by the BJP in such a huge way.
Pradhan also came down heavily on Das for his criticism of incomplete NH-55 and said in absence of any significant issue, BJD is making a hoax by forgetting its responsibility towards Sambalpur.
“At least 95 per cent of work on NH-55 has been complete and the rest could not be wrapped up due to the non-cooperation and conspiracy of the state government. If there is so much hype about 25 years of transformation in the state, why are people in almost every place threatening a poll boycott?” he asked. He also taunted Das for the poor condition of road and drainage system in Sambalpur city.
