Odisha's battle is between two flowers and two conches, says Pradhan.

Bhubaneswar: As the Lok Sabha and Odisha Assembly elections approach, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan has taken inspiration from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and created a new slogan, "Duiti Phoola", to counter the ruling BJD's "Jodi Sankha" campaign.

While the BJD's symbol is the conch, the BJP's symbol is the lotus flower. At an election rally in Athamallik, Pradhan, who is also the BJD candidate in the Sambalpur Lok Sabha seat, introduced the "Duiti Phoola Bahut Bhala" slogan. This comes after the BJD released a video featuring Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik urging people to vote for the party and displaying two conch symbols, one for the Lok Sabha election and another for the Assembly polls.

During the rally, Pradhan displayed two lotuses and encouraged people to vote for the BJP's symbol. Initially, the BJD had created the "Jodi Sankha" slogan to counter the BJP's call for a "double engine sarkar". However, in a recent interview, Prime Minister Modi clarified that the BJP will be focusing on the issue of "Odia Asmita" (Odia pride) in the state.

"The Prime Minister has set the tone for the upcoming elections by highlighting the threat to Odisha's identity and language," Pradhan stated in a press conference after the rally. He added that the rally was not just about bringing change, but also about promoting the pride and development of the state.

Reiterating PM Modi's statement, Pradhan emphasized that Odisha is blessed with abundant mineral and water resources, as well as fertile land and forests. However, he claimed that the state is lagging behind in various sectors due to corruption and mismanagement.

"The level of corruption in the state is at its peak and everything is in a state of chaos," Pradhan alleged. He also criticized the BJD government, stating that there is no proper system of governance in Odisha. "The Chief Minister is just a figurehead, while others are pulling the strings behind the scenes. It's time to remove these officers who are misusing the hard-earned money of the people," he stated.

According to Pradhan, the winds of change are blowing across the state. "The conch has been damaged and can no longer make any sound," he declared confidently.

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