Chances of Prime Minister Narendra Modi contesting from the Puri Lok Sabha constituency in the 2019 general elections cannot be ruled out. This was stated by BJP MLA Pradeep Purohit here on Wednesday. “There is 90-per cent likelihood” of Modi contesting from Puri, he told media.
Purohit claimed that Odisha is in Modi’s “focus” now, so, chances of his seeking election from Puri are strong. Of course, the BJP Parliamentary Board would take a final decision in this regard, he added.
In 2014, Modi had taken blessings from Lord Jagannath from Puri before contesting from Varanasi, he further claimed. Purohit made the statement in wake of Modi telling news agency ANI in an interview on Tuesday that the speculations about the constituency from which he would contest are all “media-created”. Modi hinted that nothing has been decided in this regard so far. But (a big one) earlier talks of Modi contesting from Puri have gained further momentum only after the Odisha unit of the BJP, in October last year, stated it wants the PM to contest from Puri.
BJP State president Basant Panda had said the State party unit would place a proposal in this regard before the party’s Parliamentary Board. In fact, the BJP State leadership appears to be eager for Modi’s Puri candidature hoping that it would have a huge impact in favour of the saffron party in realising the party’s “120+ Mission Odisha” (120 of the State Assembly’s 147 seats) as set by party national president Amit Shah to dethrone the Naveen Patnaik-led BJD Government.
On the other hand, the BJD on Wednesday reiterated its assertion that Modi’s contesting polls from the State would have no impact on the ruling party. Party spokesperson Samir Ranjan Dash said public support for the BJD continues unabated for Naveen Patnaik’s highly-beneficial welfare programmes. PCC president Niranjan Patnaik said the BJP is desperately trying to gain foothold in Odisha as its base is collapsing elsewhere in the country.