Bhubaneswar: Senior Biju Janata Dal (BJD) leader and 5T and Nabin Odisha Chairman VK Pandian slammed the BJP, particularly Dharmendra Pradhan, the Union Education Minister and the saffron party’s candidate for the Sambalpur Lok Sabha constituency in Odisha while addressing a press conference in Gopalpur on Wednesday morning.
Criticising the ‘Sankalp Patra’, the BJP’s election manifesto for Odisha, Pandian said, “The saffron party has made tall promises in its election manifesto but they are all hollow and false assurances. In 2019, eight BJP MPs were elected from the state but have they ever spoken in Parliament on the interests of Odisha?” He added, “An MP must speak about the interests of the state they represent in Parliament but the BJP MPs only speak and work for the interest of their party bosses.”
“On the other hand, the BJD is working for the interest of Odisha. We always work and fight for the people and interests of the state. The BJP manifesto clearly states that the party wants to seize power in Odisha. The BJD manifesto will, on the other hand, focus on service to the people of Odisha and on the development of the state. We want to build a prosperous Odisha.”
Taking a dig at Dharmendra Pradhan, Pandian asked, “The BJP leader has been a minister in the Union government for 10 years now but what is his contribution to Odisha? Why did he not bat for a national highway from Cuttack to Sambalpur or a coastal highway all these years? The Union minister failed to give me a satisfactory reply whenever I have asked him about the interests of Odisha in the last 10 years.”
“Pradhan is the Union Education Minister but what did he do for the uplift of the education system in Odisha? Has he done anything for Sambalpur or even his village?” Pandian asked. “On the other hand, we have built smart schools in the state where education is imparted via smart boards. In the central schools, they still use blackboards.”
“On the other hand, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has always been focusing on the development and progress of Odisha. Naveen Babu never gives false promises. He does what he says. He knows what the people of Odisha want and need. The blessing of the Lord and the people of Odisha are with Naveen Babu and they will teach the BJP a lesson in this election,” Pandian pointed out.
“The Opposition leaders are like migratory birds and come to Odisha only during the elections. Once the elections are over, they cannot be seen,” the BJD leader observed.
“People are waiting for Naveen Babu to release BJD’s election manifesto and I assure you that it will be about the people of Odisha and their development,” Pandian concluded.
