**Bhubaneswar:** Biju Janata Dal (BJD) today slammed the BJP for not fulfilling its promises which were made in context to Odisha in its 2014 manifesto. Targeting the party president Amit Shah, BJD leaders questioned why Odisha was not granted special category status which was specified in the saffron party’s previous manifesto.
“The special category status for Odisha promise by the BJP of 2014 is missing the manifesto of 2019 clearly signifying that what the BJP had then promised was false and nothing but a Jumla,” BJD Spokesperson Sasmit Patra said.
“The people of Odisha also do not find any mention about the issue of Mahanadi in the speeches by Shah or in the election manifesto of BJP in 2019 which is extremely unfortunate,” he added.
“Stopping Kalia Yojana, slashing funds for 33 programmes and discontinuing eight programmes in Odisha are heart-burning issues on which if Shah had spoken would have been better.”
Addressing a rally at Rayagada today Amit Shah said if BJP forms government in Odisha, youths will not need to migrate for employment. “You gave Congress many chances. You gave BJD four opportunities to rule the State. Give us a chance and I promise that no one has to go to other States seeking employment.”
Patra, on the other hand said that Shah’s speeches were aimed at boosting the ‘demotivated’ cadre of BJP in Odisha. “The fear of electoral defeat has so massively spread across BJP that their senior leader Dharmendra Pradhan is fearful of even fighting elections in Odisha and wants to use the escape route to power,” he said.