Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President JP Nadda on Sunday upped the ante against the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in Odisha, urging the voters to throw out the "corrupt" Naveen Patnaik-led state government.
Addressing a public gathering at Ambapua in Berhampur area of Ganjam district, JP Nadda urged the voters to give a third term to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to make India the third-largest economy in the world.
The BJP chief also asked the electors to vote his party to power in the state for the proper implementation of development projects launched by the Central government.
"A BJP government should be voted to power in Odisha for the proper implementation of the development programmes being launched by PM Modi in Delhi," JP Nadda said.
In a veiled attack on BJD leader and former bureaucrat V.K. Pandian, JP Nadda said: "Efforts are on to bring an outsider as leader. Are there no leaders in Odisha and no son of the soil for the leadership? It is worrisome the way outsiders are being promoted under Naveen Patnaik's government?"
The BJP national president alleged that 160 chit-fund companies duped 20 lakh investors of Rs 32,000 crore and that is an example of corruption of the BJD government.
Taking a jibe at the ruling BJD, he alleged that tenders under the Jal Jeevan Mission are being given to blacklisted contractors.
He also criticised the state government for not introducing the Ayushman Bharat scheme in Odisha.
He said 68 lakh poor and needy people in Odisha are deprived of benefits under Ayushman scheme.
JP Nadda also listed various achievements of the Central government under the leadership of PM Modi.
He said PM Modi has brought a massive change in every sector of Indian politics.
He said that earlier, politics was being done on the basis of caste, religion, community and locality but PM Modi connected Indian politics with 'Vikasvaad' and took the country towards development.
JP Nadda said that now politics is done over report cards, development, accountability.
"This change was brought under the leadership of PM Modi," he said.
JP Nadda also said that the Indian economy is now considered a bright spot while the economy of other countries was in a bad state due to the effects of the Covid-19, and Russia-Ukraine war.
"India has become the fifth-largest economy in the last 10 years of PM Modi's rule. India is second in the sector of medicine manufacturing. The country recorded 128 per cent increase in the export of drugs," JP Nadda said.
He said India is in third spot by overtaking Japan in the sector of automobile manufacturing. India registered a 106 per cent increase in exports in the petrochemicals sector.
"Mobile phones are now being manufactured in India. Similarly, around 1.5 lakh villages are being connected with optical fiber under PM Modi's rule," JP Nadda said.
Meanwhile, former Tripura chief minister Biplab Kumar Deb, who was present at the programme, during his speech also criticised CM Naveen Patnaik for promoting an outsider (former bureaucrat VK Pandian) as the leader of Odisha.
"Had late Biju Patnaik been alive today, it would have greatly pained him seeing an outsider ruling his state," Deb said.
BJP's Odisha unit chief Manmohan Samal, national vice president Baijayant Panda along with other leaders were present during the meeting.
Assembly and Lok Sabha elections will be held simultaneously in Odisha in four phases from May 13 to June 1. The results will be announced on June 4.
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