April 27th 2024.
In an exclusive interview with PTI, senior leader of the BJP, Vijaypal Singh Tomar, confidently stated that his party is poised to benefit from the long-standing anti-incumbency sentiment against the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government in Odisha. With the party being in power for an uninterrupted 24 years and a strong wave of support for Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the BJP is determined to overthrow Naveen Patnaik from his position as the leader of the state.
Tomar firmly believes that the people of Odisha have decided to bring about a change in their government this time around. He also emphasized the significant impact of the Modi wave, which has been strongly felt not just in the state, but throughout the country. Tomar confidently predicted that the BJP will secure at least 16 out of the 21 Lok Sabha seats and 80 out of the 147 Assembly seats in Odisha.
In reference to BJD leader Kartik Pandian, who is a close aide of CM Naveen Patnaik, Tomar questioned the justification of one man holding immense power and essentially running the government as its de-facto chief. He further added that the BJP is not only fighting to develop Odisha, but also to uphold the pride of the state.
Tomar also mentioned that once the BJP forms a double-engine government in Odisha, all central schemes and guarantees made by Modi will be implemented in the state. He highlighted the fact that a significant number of senior BJD leaders, including sitting MLAs, MPs, and former MLAs and MPs, have joined the BJP. This, coupled with the party's strong organizational structure at various levels, has boosted their confidence in securing victory in both the parliament and state assembly elections.
Tomar also addressed the issue of two BJP leaders (Bhrugu Baxipatra and Lekhasri Samantsinghar) defecting to the BJD, stating that they were not given MLA tickets by the BJP. However, he pointed out that the BJD has given them Lok Sabha tickets, which reflects the current state of the party. When questioned about the BJP's decision to give tickets to KV Singhdeo and his wife Sangeet, both of whom are from the same family, Tomar clarified that none of the leaders are new to politics and they are experienced campaigners. He also added that dynastic politics, in his opinion, refers to a family-run party, which is not the case with the BJP.
Tomar also accused the BJD government of misusing central grants and failing to provide basic necessities, such as piped water supply and PMAY houses, to the people of Odisha. He claimed that many eligible beneficiaries were deprived of these benefits while the state government allocated them to ineligible individuals. However, Tomar assured that once the BJP forms the government in the state, the promised three crore PMAY houses will be allotted to genuine beneficiaries. He also expressed concern over the fact that the people of Odisha, especially migrant workers, have not been able to benefit from the Ayushman Bharat Yojana due to the BJD government's apathy. Tomar promised that the scheme will be implemented in the state once the BJP comes to power.
Tomar also highlighted the plight of state farmers who were unable to benefit from the PM Kisan Yojana due to faulty documentation. He accused the BJD government of taking credit for central schemes by simply branding them in their name. He cited examples of the central government providing free ration to poor families, but the state government putting their own sticker on the bags.
When asked about Congress leader Sam Pitroda's statement on inheritance tax, Tomar asserted that the first right should be for the poor people of the country, unlike the Congress, which claims that Muslims have the first right. He also dismissed the promises made by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi ahead of the elections, stating that he has lost credibility. Tomar compared it to the previous promise made by former PM Manmohan Singh of waiving crop loans, which was later deemed a scam by the CAG. In contrast, he praised Modi's guarantee, citing the fulfillment of promises such as the triple talaq bill, 33% quota for women, and the abrogation of Article 370.
In conclusion, Tomar stated that while the Congress is campaigning on the slogan of "garibi hatao" (eradicate poverty), they have been in power for 60 to 70 years and have done nothing for the poor people. He contrasted this with the efforts of the Modi government in the last 10 years, which has lifted 25 crore people out of poverty. With such strong arguments and promises, the BJP is confident of securing victory in Odisha and bringing about much-needed change for the people of the state.
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