BHUBANESWAR/PURI: BJP national president JP Nadda on Friday heaped wholesome praise on the people of Odisha for electing the first saffron party government in the state and playing a major role in cementing a third consecutive term for Narendra Modi as the prime minister of the country.
Addressing the state executive committee meeting of the party in Puri, Nadda said the BJP will pay back the immense love shown by the people by ensuring all-round development of the state. “The BJP will leave no stone unturned to serve the people and ensure their welfare,” he said.
He said, the BJP has achieved a historic milestone in Odisha by winning 78 seats and securing 40.8 per cent of the votes. The party has 18 MLAs from tribal communities and holds the highest number of MLAs from the Scheduled Castes. “We will actively propel the Adivasi community and Scheduled Castes forward, leaving no gaps in bringing them into the mainstream,” Nadda said.
He also said that the new BJP government in the state has already started fulfilling its poll promises. “After 40 years in Odisha, the doors of the Ratna Bhandar have been opened. The process of accurately evaluating the proper evaluation of the prasad of Lord Jagannath is underway. The government will fulfill all the promises made to the people,” he said.
Highlighting BJP as the only truly pan-India party in the country, Nadda said more than 58 per cent of the country’s area is under its governments. The party has support of more than 57 per cent population of the country, he claimed.
Coming down heavily on the Congress, the BJP president said the party has turned into a parasitic entity that cannot stand on its own and depends on others to move ahead. Ridiculing the grand old party’s celebrations of its improved performance in the recent elections, he compared the Congress to a student rejoicing after getting minimum required marks. “Even if all the parties in the INDI alliance combine their seats, they still cannot match the BJP’s numbers. And, the Congress only weakens its allies, no matter who they partner with. Today the party runs on crutches,” he said.
BJP committed to all-round devpt of Odisha: Nadda
Nadda stated that the INDI alliance now portrays itself as the saviour of the Constitution, dalits, tribals, democracy and OBCs. “However, the truth is that they are not defenders but rather destroyers of the Constitution, having undermined it multiple times. During the Emergency in 1975, 1.25 lakh people were jailed overnight. Lalu Yadav’s daughter, Misa Bharati, was named after the Maintenance of Internal Security Act (MISA) under which he was imprisoned. Now, Lalu Yadav is allied with Rahul Gandhi, whose grandmother was responsible for his imprisonment under MISA. During the Emergency, Biju Patnaik, along with prominent leaders such as Morarji Desai, Chandrashekhar, Atal Bihari Vajpayee and LK Advani suffered and was imprisoned. It is now our responsibility to expose these hollow individuals and their hollow promises,” he said.
The Congress had toppled elected governments 90 times. While the Narendra Modi dispensation at the Centre has never dismissed the governments of other parties in the last 10 years, he said.
State BJP president Manmohan Samal said that during the state executive meeting a roadmap will be prepared for implementation of election promises made by the party. He said political, organisational and other resolutions will be passed at the meeting. The focus will be on how to solve the problems faced by common people of the state, he said.
The meeting was attended by Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi, all ministers, all party MLAs and MPs and Union Ministers from the state. All the coordinators for Assembly and Lok Sabha constituencies, district presidents, office-bearers of various fronts will also participate in the two-day meeting, he said.