Bhubaneswar: Senior BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah today hit the campaign trail for the upcoming Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in Odisha.
The Union Home Minister addressed a public meeting at Rameswaram Stadium of Sonepur under Balangir Lok Sabha constituency in Odisha in the afternoon.
Shah urged the people to vote for BJP to make Narendra Modi as the Prime Minister of India for the third consecutive term. The Union Home Minister began his speech by invoking Lord Jagannath.
“I urge the people to elect at least 20 BJP MPs from Odisha in 2024 Lok Sabha polls. The voters of the state should vote the BJP to remove the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government in Odisha,” Shah said.
Odisha has plenty of mineral as well as natural resources but the state is lagging behind in terms of development, Shah added.
The senior BJP leader alleged that the BJD government had tried its best to divert people’s attention from the consecration of Ram Lalla idol at Ayodhya.
He further alleged that the BJD government is rebranding many schemes of the Central government for political gain.
“The Naveen Patnaik-led BJD government is not implementing the centrally-sponsored Ayusman Bharat scheme in Odisha as it is afraid of the popularity of Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Shah said.
The Union Home Minister promised to set up a cotton mill and a few agro-based industries in Balangir Lok Sabha constituency to provide employment opportunities to the local people.
“The BJD government has failed to do any development work in Odisha during its 24 year-long rule. The people of Odisha should elect a BJP government in the state for five years. The BJP will make Odisha as the number one state in the country,” Shah said.
Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan, BJP Odisha unit president Manmohan Samal, Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly Jay Narayan Mishra, Balangir MP Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo and former minister KV Singh Deo among other senior party leaders were present at the meeting.
The simultaneous Lok Sabha and Assembly polls in Odisha will be held in four phases on May 13, May 20, May 25 and June 1.
The counting of votes will be done on June 4.
