Criticism By Opposition Has Always Been Constructive For State Govt: V.K.Pandian
Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has been ruling Odisha last 25 years and the state government is looking forward to continue the legacy for the sixth term. The path has never been easy as they have seen many ups and downs and have faced serious criticism by the Opposition. Still they continue to take the legacy forward and are determined to serve the people of Odisha. What can be a better proof than the recently released BJD manifesto for the upcoming general elections 2024!
The ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD) unveiled its election manifesto for the simultaneous Lok Sabha and assembly polls on Thursday, where the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said, ” I am lucky to present the party’s manifesto and it will create history by making Odisha the No. 1 state in the country by 2036.”
Youth empowerment was a key aspect of the manifesto, with Patnaik saying the government would set aside a separate budget of Rs 1 lakh crore over the next decade. He said the schemes would be implemented based on suggestions taken from the youth of the state.
Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik promised free electricity for households using up to 100 units and subsidised electricity for those using 100 to 150 units. The manifesto promised an international airport and state-of-art facilities in the tourist hotspot Puri. The BJD also said it would extend the Biju Swasthya Kalyan Yojana (BSKY) coverage to middle-class families.
The BJD manifesto also stated that the government would set aside Rs 100 crore for the promotion of the Odia language and it would further strengthen Mission Shakti and become the number one state in financial assistance to self-help groups.
The preparation for the upcoming elections are on full swing and the star campaigners are on the ground with their agendas to win people’s trust. While the IAS officer turned BJD’s star campaigner V.K.Pandian has unexpectedly become the centre of attraction and his sudden prominence has made him the primary target of opposition leaders and other national parties. BJD leader and Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik’s close aide V K Pandian is also facing sharp criticism for being in politics despite of being a bureaucrat. But inspite of all the criticisms, he has outshined to become the face of the ruling party Biju Janata Dal (BJD) and its election manifesto. During the alliance negotiations between BJP and BJD in March, Pandian played a pivotal role as the main negotiator for BJD.
5T Chairman and BJD leader VK Pandian on Friday addressed a public meeting in Brajrajnagar and during the meeting he said, CM Naveen Patnaik will take oath as Odisha CM on June 9 with a majority win and if does not take oath as CM, he will quit politics. And challenged the Union Minister, if their party does not win elections, then will he quit politics?
He further added, when the opposition talks fail during the elections, they stoop low and start criticising. It is not new for the opposition, they have done this in the past also. So, whenever the opposition makes such statement, the Naveen Patnaik govt wins with a huge margin. The people of Odisha have always showed love to CM Naveen and also in the 2024 elections they would do the same. CM Naveen speaks less and work more and never give importance to what the opposition political party says. CM Naveen focuses on the interest of the people of Odisha and about the state’s development. This is the only reason why Naveen has been favourite Chief Minister of Odisha for the last 25 years and lives in the hearts of the Odias.
In 2019, BJD secured 12 LS seats, while Congress managed one. In the assembly polls, BJD dominated with 113 seats, followed by BJP with 23, Congress with 9, and others with 2.