May 11th 2024.
Naveen Patnaik, the Chief Minister of Odisha, made a statement on Saturday claiming that his party, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), will continue to hold power for a sixth consecutive term after the upcoming Assembly elections. This statement was in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's claim during an election rally that a BJP chief minister will be sworn in on June 10 in Bhubaneswar.
Patnaik confidently asserted that the BJP will not be able to win the hearts of the people of Odisha in the next 10 years, let alone on June 10. He firmly believes that the BJD will continue to form the government in Odisha for the foreseeable future. He also raised the question of why his father, Biju Patnaik, was not being considered for the prestigious Bharat Ratna award, despite being a brave and deserving son of Odisha.
The Chief Minister also reminded the PM of the promises made by the BJP to the people of Odisha in 2014 and 2019, and how they have failed to fulfill them. He specifically mentioned promises such as controlling prices of essential commodities, creating 2 crore jobs, reducing prices of LPG, petrol, and diesel, and providing mobile connectivity in remote areas. He accused the BJP of only remembering Odisha during elections and not following through on their promises.
Patnaik also brought up the issue of the Centre's lack of recognition and support for the culture and language of Odisha. He pointed out how the Centre has allocated funds for promoting Sanskrit but has neglected classical Odia language and music. He also criticized the PM for forgetting his promise of doubling the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for the farmers of Odisha.
Furthermore, the Chief Minister expressed disappointment with the PM for not revising the royalty for coal, which is a natural wealth of Odisha. He also indirectly referenced VK Pandian, a BJD leader, who had claimed to be the natural successor of Biju Patnaik's values. In response, the PM invited Patnaik to the swearing-in ceremony of the BJP chief minister in Bhubaneswar on June 10, assuring that the candidate will be someone who understands the culture, language, and tradition of Odisha.
It is worth noting that Odisha will be holding elections for its 21 Lok Sabha seats and 147-member Assembly simultaneously in four phases, starting from May 13. Patnaik's BJD will be facing strong competition from the BJP in these elections. However, the Chief Minister remains confident in his party's ability to secure another term in office.
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