May 12th 2024.
In Bhubaneswar, VK Pandian, a senior leader of BJD, challenged the BJP on Saturday to reveal its candidate for the Chief Minister of Odisha. He confidently stated that if the BJP announces any of its current state leaders as their candidate, they will receive less than 10% of the votes. Speaking at a rally in Sundagarh Lok Sabha seat, Pandian dismissed the BJP's hopes of forming a government in Odisha, stating that it has been nothing but a "day-dream" since 2014.
He also took a dig at the BJP for their lack of commitment to the state, saying that many leaders only appear during election time and then disappear for the next five years. Referring to Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's statement about the BJP's "day-dreaming" habit, Pandian claimed that the party has been doing so since 2014. He further alleged that the BJP is hesitant to announce their CM candidate because they know it will result in a significant decrease in their vote share.
Pandian boldly challenged the BJP to declare their CM candidate, giving the people of Odisha the opportunity to choose between Naveen Patnaik and the BJP's candidate. Reiterating his earlier statement about being the natural successor to CM Patnaik, Pandian stated that the BJP is attempting to portray a false image of making Odisha the top state in the country, but questioned their track record in Gujarat. He pointed out alarming statistics of malnutrition and anaemia among children in Gujarat, and the high per capita debt burden of the state.
On the other hand, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an election rally, indirectly referred to Pandian's statement and invited the people to the swearing-in ceremony of the BJP's chief minister on June 10 in Bhubaneswar. He assured that the chosen candidate will be someone who understands the state's culture, language, and tradition.
Pandian emphasized that CM Patnaik is a man of his words and will fulfill all promises made in the BJD manifesto, which will be converted into a policy document after the elections. The people of Odisha will vote for their 21 Lok Sabha seats and the 147-member assembly in four phases, starting from May 13.
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