BHUBANESWAR: Union Education Minister and BJP’s Sambalpur Lok Sabha candidate Dharmendra Pradhan on Saturday said the state is heading for a change and people are forcing it.
“People of Odisha want this change and are blessing Prime Minister Narendra Modi. BJP will form the government at the Centre for the third consecutive term under the leadership of Modi. BJP will win 21 out of 21 Lok Sabha seats in Odisha. The party will form a new government with a majority in the state too,” he said after casting his vote in Bhubaneswar.
Pradhan and his wife Mridula voted in booth No. 59 of Chandrasekharpur DAV School Campus-2 under Bhubaneswar-North Assembly constituency.
The Union Minister expressed happiness for being a part of the great festival of democracy and appealed to young and women voters to participate in large numbers. “India’s democracy is one of the most influential and experienced in the world. Every vote counts in a democracy. Nothing is more effective in a democracy than the vote. There is a lot of enthusiasm among the people to exercise their rights in Sambalpur and Bhubaneswar and across the state. Let everyone vote and strengthen our democracy,” he said.
Earlier, Pradhan had visited Goddess Samaleswari temple in Sambalpur before going around booths in various Assembly segments under the parliamentary constituency.
Bhubaneswar MP and BJP candidate Aparajita Sarangi cast her vote at N-1 Primary School at Nayapalli in the city. “Participated in the biggest festival of democracy and voted for development. Grateful to all who have come out of their houses. Let’s all vote,” she said, adding “I am very happy that people are even coming in wheelchairs to cast their votes.”
Governor Raghubar Das cast his vote in Jamshedpur. He urged all voters to take part in the festival of democracy. BJP national vice-president and former MP Baijayant Panda also exercised his franchise in the capital city.
Railway Minister and Rajya Sabha MP from Odisha Ashwini Vaishnaw cast his vote at Heritage City, Sarhaul in Haryana.