Bhubaneswar: BJD president and Leader of Opposition in Odisha Assembly Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday claimed that the BJP came to power in the state by making false promises and misleading people. The former chief minister made the allegations while addressing a gathering after launching the regional party's annual Jan Sampark Yatra here in the state capital. The ruling BJP, however, denied the allegations asserting that all poll promises were kept.
"The BJP has come to power in Odisha by making false promises and telling lies to the people," Patnaik said. Listing the BJP's promises made during the assembly polls, the BJD supremo asked whether the people are getting 300 units of electricity free of cost and Rs 3,000 as social security pension, as promised by the saffron party leaders ahead of the elections. Referring to the state government's flagship Subhadra Yojana, Patnaik asked whether the women get Rs 50,000 each as promised by the BJP in its election manifesto.
"During elections, they (BJP leaders) promised to give many things to the people. Now BJP's lie has been caught," Patnaik said. Prices of essential commodities have been rising rapidly, he alleged. Referring to the alleged sexual assault of a woman at a police station in the capital city recently, the former CM said that the women are not safe even in the police station. The BJD president said, "Government servants are also not safe in Raj Bhavan. People cannot trust this BJP government. The party can win elections by lying, but not the hearts of the people. Lies are the identity of BJP."
He was referring to the physical assault on a government official allegedly by the son of Odisha Governor Raghubar Das inside the Raj Bhavan in Puri during Rath Yatra. Patnaik, who served the state as the chief minister for 24 years at a stretch, said: Whether I am in power or not, I have served you all the time and will continue to serve the people of Odisha till the end." Claiming that BJD is no more a political party, but a movement in the state, Patnaik said the people love the regional party and trust it.
After the 2024 assembly elections, the BJP might have formed the government, but BJD got more votes than the saffron party. While the BJD secured 40.22 per cent of votes and got 51 seats in the last assembly elections, the ruling BJP got a 40.07 per cent mandate but availed 78 seats in the 147-member Odisha assembly. The Congress bagged 14 seats followed by three by the independents, while the CPI(M) got one seat.
We will continue to serve people and lakhs of our workers will carry forward BJD's message to people and also expose the false promises and incompetence of the BJP government, Patnaik said claiming that the BJD is always in the hearts of people. While paying tribute to Mahatma Gandhi and launching the party's Padayatra programme here which is being held across the state, Patnaik said that walking is one of the most powerful ways to connect with people. He said the BJD has always been with people.
Service and kindness are BJD's mantra, Patnaik said, adding that development is his party's identity. He claimed that the Biju Janata Dal believes in work. In the last 24 years, the BJD has done a lot of work for the development of Odisha. There has been visible improvement in various areas such as education, health, infrastructure, investment, good governance, the welfare of SC and STs, empowerment of women, youth and farmers, he said.
Highlighting the BJD government's performance in the last 24 years, Patnaik said the state's poverty ratio was brought down to 10 per cent in 2024 against 70 per cent in 2000. The per capita income of Odisha people has also increased and the state is ahead of many double-engine government states. Odisha is in a good position in all areas of development, he said. Citing an instance of his government's programme, Patnaik said lakhs of people benefited from the BJD government's Biju Health Kalyan Yojana (BSKY).
However, the present BJP government has changed the name of the scheme, he said. You can change the name, and the colour, but cannot change the history. People know everything, the BJD president said. Responding to Patnaik's charges, BJP spokesperson Manoj Mohapatra said the current state government has met the promises it has made before the elections. The people know everything and therefore rejected the BJD in the last elections. The previous BJD government has looted the state and failed on all fronts, he said, accusing Patnaik of taking shelter in lies to blame the 100-day-old BJP government in Odisha.
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